ETHICS IN FOOD SECURITY AND WORKER SECURITY T.YATHURSHAN 2016/BST/108 1. Ethics in food security and worker security According to the FAO's official definition, food security has four elements availability (of food), access (to food), utilisation (the quality and safety), stability (of supply) By the very definition food security should also be sustainable.this is implicit in the definition words ‘at all times’. Food security is often linked with food sovereignty or 'the right of peoples to define their own food and agriculture; to protect and regulate domestic agricultural production and trade in order to achieve sustainable development objectives; to determine the extent to which they want to be self reliant. A widespread view that has been adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is that a combination of food availability, economic and physical access to food, food utilization (nutrition and uptake), and stability of these three dimensions over time all need to be in play in order to ensure food security Food insecurity Distribution is an important facet of food security because there may be enough food for these starving populations elsewhere in the region or world, but they do not have access to it in their community. This concern does not address the economic element of food availability. If people cannot afford to purchase food on a regular basis, or food markets have been disrupted, then they still would be unlikely to attain access to food even if it were redistributed. Additionally, while nutrients are a concern that falls under food utilization, it too does not capture the full picture. People must be able to prepare available food to retain nutrients and be willing to eat it, which is as much a social and cultural issue as it is about food nutrient content. Ethical consideration in food security 1. present vs posterity When approaching food security, either as a whole or through a narrower subtopic, one is inevitably forced to take some sort of stand on whether food security is to be conceived in the short term or in the long term. One element that defines food security is the notion that access and availability are not merely for the current days or season ahead, but that it is dependable and reliable over time. Much like trying to establish a clear definition for "food security", there is a vagueness to the concept of long-term, as it could simply be characterized as over the next couple of years or over decades to come. Long-term food security could also be framed over the span of an average person's life span, or it could reach many generations or even infinitely into the future. Common usage suggests an implicit assumption that we are considering a person's life span. There may be difficulty in ensuring, or even conceptualizing, how to prepare for food production, availability, accessibility and adequate nutrition beyond this time-frame as social, physical, economic, and demographic shifts could drastically change even if food security for posterity is valued. The importance of long-term food security considerations, which can be framed in terms of food security for posterity, are explored in Garrett Hardin's essay "Carrying Capacity as an Ethical Concept". Hardin points out that foreign aid to malnourished nations may be beneficent in the short term, but unintentionally maleficent in the long term, due to the fact that such aid leads to a large aid-reliant population. This is a rather extreme case of conflict between present vs. posterity food security, but the importance of the consideration is nevertheless generalizable. 2. Food security and sustainability Due to the emphasis on long-term availability of food inherent in the concept of food security, it is no surprise that there is a direct connection to Sustainability. A narrow perspective may focus solely on food system sustainability including soil, water, stability of climate, and genetic and material availability of viable stock. It may also be extended by taking into account the impact that the transportation and waste from production and packaging has on the environment. A concern about increasing exports and imports is the assumed ancillary costs due to pollution created by burning fossil fuels for transportation, as well as the storage costs incurred and the regulation of trade. Though some amount of imports and exports will make the food security situation more stable, completely relying on open markets may also open up more resource-related problems. While the ecological impact of regulation, storage and transportation may seem obvious, production of various food products seems to cause greater amounts of global warming causing gases than transport. While this conceptualization of food security may appear fairly holistic in what it encompasses, it is aimed primarily or entirely at providing reliable food production for humans. It does not extend to animals, environments, or human dimensions that do not directly impact food production. A broader understanding of how sustainability and food security interact may also include: social justice considerations, promoting agrarian community integrity, human values that are indirectly relevant to agriculture, impacts on or from wildlife, beneficial and problematic microorganisms, balancing agricultural land and practices with other land uses, value and protection for biodiversity across all species, interest and investment in wild varieties of domesticated crops and agricultural animals, as well as a deeper concern for water protection to meet non-agriculture and non-anthropocentric needs such as ecosystem maintenence and the right kind of aquatic environments for fish, amphibians, birds, etc. Agricultural planning and practices should directly address many of the concerns raised in the second group if it is to fully integrate food security with sustainability and have "Functional integrity". In other words, agriculture and environmental concerns would be addressed simultaneously. Although challenges of priorities may arise, they would not be positioned in opposition with each other when they do 3.Right and Responsibilities What is any given individual's or society's responsibility in the quest for international food security? It is important to consider the following questions for ethics in food security 1. Is there a moral responsibility to design or prepare food production and markets for the least well-off? 2. Is there a human right to adequate nutrition and/or food security? What does/would such a right entail? Who hold the corresponding responsibility? 3. Is there a corresponding responsibility to maintain or improve land and/or water, to limit one's ecological footprint, or control family size? 4. Are future generations justified in holding their ancestors accountable for their food security and environmental sustainability difficulties? If so, under what circumstances? Is there any meaningful recourse? 5. Are highly intensive food crops and meat a dietary requirement? If so, under what circumstances? Is there a valid social justice and/or ecological argument to be made on behalf of vegetarianism/veganism? Important consideration of bio ethics in food security Hunger eradication is necessary for accelerating development and reducing poverty Direct improvement in agricultural technology are critical for hunger eradication Political stability, care and provision are non for reduction of hunger, malnutrition and poverty Focusing on food production is insufficient for reducing hunger and ensuring food security Public investment is essential for agricultural growth CODE OF ETHICS FOR WORKERS SECURITY Large or small, even the best-managed companies can be sued. Business executives never intend to put themselves at risk but they often are not aware or fully understand the implications of their actions. Consider the following as a code of ethics example for your employees: To accept the responsibilities and obligations of my role as a licensed security officer. To endeavor to shield persons or property from those who would cause harm and to do so with attentive observation and reporting to law enforcement while on duty. To conduct myself with honesty and integrity and to adhere to the highest moral principles in the performance of my duties as a licensed security officer. To be faithful, diligent and dependable in discharging my duties and to uphold at all times the laws, policies and procedures that protect the rights of others. To observe the precepts of truth, accuracy, and prudence, without allowing personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my judgment. To report to my superiors, without hesitation, any violation of the law or of my employer's or client's regulations. To respect and endeavor to protect the confidential and privileged information of my employer or client beyond the term of my employment. To cooperate with all recognized and responsible law enforcement and government agencies in matters within their jurisdiction. To accept no compensation, commission, gratuity, or other advantage without the knowledge and consent of my employer. To conduct myself professionally and to perform my duties in a manner that reflects credit. Reference:https://www.umt.edu/ethics/debating%20science%20 program/odc/Biotechnology/Goals/foodsecurity.php https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S22 11912415300158 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Teea_Kortetma eki/publication/283449607_Food_security_and_ethics _The_first_world_hunger/links/56442fc308aef646e6ca 6fa8/Food-security-and-ethics-The-first-worldhunger.pdf?origin=publication_detail
