Ethical logic should be the filter for applied development where the question, “should a thing be done?” must be the gatekeeper of science and policy implementation.  In our food systems and their interconnected sectors  the low priority of ethical decision-making has often led us to folly. Ethical quandaries  are not always easy to perceive or balance, often times the choice between two outcomes necessitates uncomfortable sacrifice; unfortunately, too often these sacrifices are not properly discoursed or vetted.

The work of the Food Ethics Council seeks to provide food systems information and decision making tools in order to better table ethical issues. The work of the Council helps to illuminate the consequences of our choices as stakeholders across the food chain and is exceptional in that it manages to hold the tension of these polarising issues gracefully and responsibly. In their newest report, “Green Governance: how business ownership affects sustainability”,  the council acknowledges the shortcomings of a growth-dependant economic system in achieving sustainable business practices. The report explores how changes in financial regulations, pricing of environmental externalities and stakeholder ownership (in contrast to shareholder ownership) can positively impact on sustainability.

This publication is a report of points made during a January 2010 meeting of the Food Ethics Council’s Business Forum. Participants included notables as Sir Don Curry, Roger Levett (Sustainability Consultant), Tom Athron(Waitrose) and Helen Browning (Soil Association).  The report can be found here.