Mary Joyce Abarsosa
Article 1:
“Agricultural Ethics:
Chrispeels and Mandoli”
Maarten J. Chrispeels
Dina F. Mandoli
October 1, 2017
Author Note:
Maarten J. Chrispeels
Maarten Chrispeels received his PhD in Agronomy at University of Illinois. He became a
postdoctoral fellow at the DOE Plant Research Laboratory at Michigan State University and
studied plant biochemistry. He has been researching at UCSD for 42 years. Professor Chrispeels
was elected to membership in the US National Academy of Sciences in 1996. For 10 years, he
served as the Director of the San Diego Center for Molecular Agriculture (SDCMA) on the UCSD
campus.
Dina F. Mandoli
Dina Mandoli got her B.A in Biology at Wellesley College and received her PhD in Biology at
Stanford University in 1982. She is currently a professor in Biology at University of Washington.
Article #1
:
“Agricultural Ethics:
Chrispeels and Mandoli”
Notes
Ethics is about choices. Therefore, agricultural ethics is about choices.
Agricultural producers unwillingly accept the criticism of using technology and other
sorts of chemicals to increase the food production because to them, if it helps feed the
growing population, it is the right thing to do.
As the world changes, our social values also change. People start accepting things that
weren’t acceptable before.
New technologies come with consequences.
Deep ecologists are creating a new moral system that is not centered on humans alone.
We need to start thinking about the ecosystem and how every living things matters. To
do this, we (Americans) must change our lifestyle accordingly.
If the action produces good to the large number of people, then it must be right.
Farmers feels the need to use technology to produce greater economic return.
North America and European agriculture uses the concept of production agriculture for
the past 50 years.
Ecosystem and rural communities suffers from the new agricultural practices.
Our agricultural system relies on irrigation, continuous monocultures, and purchased
inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, farm machinery, etc.) but ignores most of the
laws that govern natural ecosystems
Agriculturalist only focuses on the value of production in feeding the population using
new practices that can negatively impact the ecosystem
Rachel Carson “Silent Spring” presents the production of food as not sustainable
Agriculture can result to groundwater pollution, soil erosion, aquifer depletion, soil
degradation, pesticide pollution, and other environmental stresses
In the 20
th
century, people started thinking about sustainability
Farmers in the United stated in Europe are dependent on government subsidies because
subsidies keep prices low by paying farmers at a higher price.
Agricultural development in other countries are impossible because they have to
compete with the developed countries
