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Moral conflicts, premises and the social dimension of agricultural sustainability

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  • Judith Janker

    (Research group Socioeconomics, Agroscope
    University Bern)

Abstract

The most cited sustainability definition, by the World Commission on the Environment and Development (Our common future, World Commission on Environment and Development, Oxford, 1987), contains a moral imperative, as pointed out by several scholars. While ethical implications have been examined by philosophers and social scientists, concepts such as agricultural sustainability have been challenged less. The present work should contribute to the debate on the implicit moral values of agricultural sustainability and help uncover conflicting moral perspectives regarding agricultural sustainability. Choosing the social dimension of agricultural sustainability as starting point, the idea of conflict interrupting the functionality or longevity of any social system, such as a farm is introduced. Based on the idea of agricultural value chains, different stakeholders’ interests for seven moral conflict scenarios in agriculture and the moral arguments behind them are identified. These are sorted according to ethical theories and argumentation patterns are detected. The three central moral premises, as well as their importance to the sustainability context, are discussed. Finally, working hypotheses are proposed which can help create more comprehensive ideas about the social dimension of agricultural sustainability, furthering the consideration of normative aspects in the context of agricultural sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Judith Janker, 2020. "Moral conflicts, premises and the social dimension of agricultural sustainability," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(1), pages 97-111, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:37:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s10460-019-09972-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-019-09972-9
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    2. Bifeng Zhu & Jing Feng & Chaoyang Sun & Zhekai Wang, 2024. "Characteristics and affordability of American universities with a willingness to invest in sustainability," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
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    4. Feng Zhou & Chunhui Wen, 2023. "Research on the Level of Agricultural Green Development, Regional Disparities, and Dynamic Distribution Evolution in China from the Perspective of Sustainable Development," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-47, July.
    5. Hong Li & Weiwei Zhang & Xiao Xiao & Fei Lun & Yifu Sun & Na Sun, 2023. "Temporal and Spatial Changes of Agriculture Green Development in Beijing’s Ecological Conservation Developing Areas from 2006 to 2016," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-20, December.

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