Technological advances and organizational changes affecting agrifood systems in recent years have been radical and rapid; the repercussions, however, will be felt for a long time to come and the consequences may be irreversible. Whether these changes be as specific as individual food production techniques or as broad as the effects of globalization, they have refocused attention on age-old human values and fundamental human rights, including the right to adequate - and safe - food. The resulting controversies have brought to the fore a number of basic ethical concerns that are central to the global goals of world food security and sustainable rural development: the need for equitable participation, for example, that reconciles the interests of wealthy and less advantaged countries today while guaranteeing viable options for future generations; and the need to ensure broad-based involvement in decisions concerning technology development, particularly genetic engineering. The resolution of these issues demands careful reflection and constructive dialogue - the purpose of this new series on ethics in food and agriculture is to give impetus to that dialogue.

 – To view the entire document click here – 
 – Pdf version – 

Biotechnologies developed over the past few decades have opened up a wide range of avenues and opportunities in diverse sectors, yet the scale of the today's global debate on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their application in agriculture is unprecedented. Furthermore, the scientific and policy bases for assessing and passing judgement on genetically engineered products are necessarily evolving as rapidly as the pace of evolution in biotechnology itself.

The purpose of this publication -- the second in FAO's new series dedicated to ethics in food and agriculture - is to share the current knowledge of genetically engineered products in relation to consumers, including the safety of their food and protection of their health, and environmental conservation. It seeks to unravel and explore the claims and counterclaims being made in the GMO debate from an ethical perspective, considering the proprietary nature of the tools used to produce GMOs, the potential consequences of their use in intensifying food production and the unintended and undesirable effects that their application could have, both now and in the future.

 – To view the entire document click here – 
 – Pdf version –

 The ethics of sustainable agricultural intensification

Population growth provides the basis for a utilitarian argument for intensification, and traditional virtues of leadership might provide an ethic for pursuing intensification for the good of society. In modern societies, the authority to pursue such good is constrained by the rights of others. It is critical, therefore, to articulate the ethical rationale for undertaking projects of intensification in terms that draw upon each of the traditions available for specifying and critically evaluating an ethical responsibility. Omitting any one of these ways of framing ethical issues results in a weakened capacity to articulate, debate and ultimately assume ethical responsibilities that may arise in connection with population growth and the attendant imperatives for intensification.

 –  Pdf version – 

 Ethical issues in fisheries

Since ancient times, fisheries have been an important source of food, employment, and economic and social benefits. That there are limits to the extraction of fishery resources has long been recognized by science, but policies and management have failed to consider them adequately, leading to regrettable environmental and socio-economic consequences. It is now globally clear that fisheries resources cannot sustain the rapid and often uncontrolled exploitation and development rates, and that new management and conservation approaches are needed. In the process of change, ethical concerns related to the well-being of humans and the ecosystem are central to the debate about the future we want for fisheries and fishers.This fourth study in the FAO Ethics Series addresses the ethical issues broadly raised by FAO in food and agriculture, narrowing its focus to fisheries.

 –  Pdf version –