Ethics in Food and Agriculture
| Numbering Code | U-AGR04 3D320 LJ82 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ Second semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture | |
| Target Year | 3rd year students | Target Student | ||
| Language | Japanese | Day/Period | Thu.1 | |
| Instructor name |
AKITSU MOTOKI (Graduate School of Agriculture Professor) TSUJIMURA HIDEYUKI (Graduate School of Agriculture Professor) KITO YAYOI (Graduate School of Agriculture Senior Lecturer) |
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| Outline and Purpose of the Course | Agriculture is closely related to the maintenance of human life through food. The aim of the course is to examine the ideal state for agriculture and food from both sides (agriculture and food), applying research on ethics, which has recently expanded. The ethics of agriculture is hugely influenced by the state and capital. Following this, in thinking about the ethics of agriculture/farmers, the lectures focus on its changing aspect in reference to social institutions such as the state (Akitsu). Next, we examine ethics that should be taken into account by agribusinesses that connect agriculture and food. Lectures are given on ethics as the social responsibility of agribusinesses and consumers, who can influence agribusiness. We will invite guest speakers from companies (Tsujimura). We will then examine the ethics of professionals involved in agriculture- and food-related industries. In particular, lectures are given on the social responsibility of engineers in agriculture- and food-related industries, measures taken to address safety, the impact on society and the environment, as well as the social responsibility associated with marketing (Kito). The course concludes with a lecture and workshop on ethics in consumption. As the lectures are linked to Principle in Agricultural Science, it is advisable that students take it as well (Akitsu). | |||
| Course Goals | To learn to explore an ideal state in reference to four dimensions: agriculture, agribusiness, professionals, and food consumption. Ethics are established through continuous discussions, and there is no a priori "correct" set of ethics. As well as grasping these premises, students are to grasp major issues in thinking about the ethics of agriculture and food. Furthermore, through interactive teaching, students will learn how to prepare a venue to explore ethics. | |||
| Schedule and Contents |
Lecture 1: Contemporary relevance of food and farming ethics, and agricultural ethics (Chapters 1 and 10 of the textbook; same hereafter) Lecture 2: Organic farming and ethics ? an international comparative perspective (Chapter 2) Lecture 3: Farming and food communities linked by co-operatives (1); lecture (Chapter 3) Lecture 4: Farming and food communities linked by co-operatives (2); workshop (to experience the price co-creation mechanism) Lecture 5: Agribusinesses' corporate social responsibility (CSR) (1); lecture (the raison d'?tre for business and CSR) Lecture 6: Agribusinesses' corporate social responsibility (CSR) (2); lecture (ethical procurement, consumption and socially responsible investment, and SRI/ESG) Lecture 7: Agribusinesses' corporate social responsibility (CSR) (3): Guest speaker (CSR/ESG at Omron: through its corporate philosophy, management, and projects) Lecture 8: Ethics for professionals (1) ? engineers' social responsibility Lecture 9: Ethics for professionals (2) ? measures to do with safety, society, and the environment Lecture 10: Ethics for professionals (3) ? social responsibility of marketing Lecture 11: Ethics for professionals (4); workshop to explore how to conduct marketing Lecture 12: Approach to ethics from food consumption; workshop on food ethics, exploring the ideal diet (Chapter 5) Lecture 13: The fundamentals in shokuiku (dietary education) (Chapter 7) Lecture 14: Discussion ? consuming life (Chapter 9) Lecture 15: Feedback ? how feedback will be given will be confirmed later. |
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| Evaluation Methods and Policy | Assessment is based on the marks earned for the mini tests given during lectures, participation in the workshop, the presentation, and the final report. Assessment criteria and policy are drawn from "Assessment criteria and policy" in the current version of the Faculty of Agriculture Student Handbook. | |||
| Course Requirements | None | |||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) | While the lectures do not use the entire textbook, students are encouraged to read through it. | |||
| Textbooks | Textbooks/References | Akitsu, Sato and Takenouchi (eds) 『農と食の新しい倫理』 (Showado) ISBN:978-4-8122-1720-7 | ||
| References, etc. | To be introduced during class | |||
