Ethics in the Organic Movement - Re-Thinking Organic Food and Farming in a Changing World - page 21

the “farm as a factory” (Wirzba 2003 ). Similar to the concept of agrarian stewardship
(cf. Thompson and Hilde 2000 ; Thompson 2001 , 2007 ; Wirzba 2002 ), the IFOAM
Principles also refer to humanness, community, place and stewardship.
However, whether from a perspective of systemic or agrarian ethics (see Alrøe
et al. 2001 ), we suggest that most interpretations of the IFOAM Principles are too
narrow, and are not sensitive enough to the organic agrofood chain as a whole.
Several discussions in agricultural ethics address the importance of reconnecting
food producers and consumers (e.g., Carruthers 2009 , pp. 303, 304). To honor the
ethical promise of the Principles, the perspectives and conditions of the consumers
must be strengthened to become relevant in the daily lives of consumers. Moreover,
there is a need for more critical ethical discussion of corporate commercial activities
and approaches (Williams and Murphy 1990 ). It is time to address issues of
compassion, fairness, loyalty and openness. All are emphasized by the IFOAM
Principles of Fairness and Care, but are not addressed in the context of commercial
marketing. Finally, both the agrarian stewardship and the IFOAM Principles need
to be extended toward “urban” stewardship that integrates the urban realities of
citizens and markets. The challenge is then how to think about an “urban ethic”
in an industrialized and globalized society.

2.3 Diversification of Ethics in the Organic

Movement - A Historical Perspective

What has been the role and development of diverse ethics in the history of the
organic movement (see also Constance et al., Hunt et al. and Jones, Chaps. 9 , 10
and 11 ) ? In this section we discuss the history behind the organic ethics in order to
make explicit that the ethical foundation has changed over time, but include several
contributions that continue to be of relevance in the IFOAM Principles.
We start our journey with the second half of the eighteenth century, long before
organic was established as a movement and before there was a differentiation
between organic and conventional. We conclude in the late 1980s, when organic
had become progressively well-known and well-established in society. Later, in
Chap. 13 we discuss the significance of these ethics for different organic farming
groups.

2.3.1 Framing the Organic Roots: Agriculture

in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth
Century - A European Perspective

In the eighteenth century, theocentric perspectives about agriculture were central.
There was a strong belief in a “God” who understood that even weeds served some
higher purpose (see Becker 1788 / 1980 in Dirlinger et al. 1998 ).