Certified Organic, Fair Trade, and Civic Agriculture Essay

Certified Organic, Fair Trade, and Civic Agriculture - Essay Example Fair trade foods have entered the market in response to socially conscious advocates that promote the long-term economic well being of farmers in developing countries or disadvantaged areas. Civic agriculture has responded to the call of local community groups and consumer cooperatives that seek to link food to local production as an alternative to the mass-produced and distributed food chain. Organic foods, fair trade products, and civic agriculture all serve separate demands in the marketplace, each with differing drawbacks and a limited ability to serve the needs of the world's demand for food. Organic foods are a specialty type of farming that has risen in popularity in recent years as a response to the widespread use of pesticides and herbicides that are used in commercial farming. Many of these products have been linked to cancer and a variety of childhood ailments. Controlling weeds and pests in organic farming is accomplished through alternative methods that rely on weed control, instead of killing, and natural pest repellent systems. In addition, under the Federal Organic Food Production Act of 1990 fertilizers are strictly limited and prohibit the use of "fertilizers containing synthetic ingredients or any commercially blended fertilizers containing materials prohibited", such as "phosphorous, lime, potash, or any materials that are inconsistent with the applicable organic certification program" (Federal Organic Food Production Act of 1990). To be labeled as an organic food, it must be grown in accordance with US Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines and certi fied by the Department. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "More than 40 private organizations and state agencies (certifiers) currently certify organic food, but their standards for growing and labeling organic food may differ. For example, some agencies may permit or prohibit different pesticides or fertilizers in growing organic food" (Organic Farming). The rigid guidelines and lack of standards has made organic foods difficult to market, and added complexity and confusion to the consumer wishing to consume organic foods. The organic foods market has been developing for over fifty years in the US, and while it has experienced significant growth, it is limited in its scope as a source of food. The low prices that are paid in the US for food have come about as a result of large scale and high production farming techniques. These agricultural practices are not conducive to organic methods and they rely on the significant applications of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. In addition, much of our agricultural production goes to animal feed. The millions of acres of corn and soybeans that cover the Midwest could not be organically grown. Organic foods are an excellent product for the home gardener that is concerned about the risks of agricultural chemicals, or the small producer that is serving a niche market. The EPA states that "the industry has grown from experimental garden plots to large farms with surplus products sold under a special organic label. Food manufacturers have developed organic pro cessed products and many retail marketing chains specialize in the sale of "organic" products" (Organic Farming). However, these products are located on specialty shelves in the supermarket, are more expensive, and the

Galen Strawson Considers Freedom of Will to Be Profanation Essay

Galen Strawson Considers Freedom of Will to Be Profanation - Essay Example I disagree with Strawson’s position and posit that humans can and should be held responsible for their actions because, as Strawson points out, even if the situation is such that you have a gun to your head, you still have a choice.   The unpleasantness of the choice does not nullify the presence of the choice or the fact that we always have the option to choose either the pleasant or more tolerable route over the unpleasant option and vice versa.According to Strawson’s analysis, humans lack the capacity to make free choices.   The influences of society, parents, friends, teachers, and all of the contributory factors that shape each of us into the unique individuals we are countermand our ability to freely make decisions.   Since we do not control who we are and who we determine the decisions we make, logic dictates that we are not engaging in free will because we did not have the power to shape who we are.   Additionally, Strawson states that, even if a person changes who they are, this does not mean they have free will because heredity and experience have already affected you in ways that you can never change.   The way a person is ultimately has a significant effect on how they are able to change and what attributes they are able to change, which causes the redundancy in the whole concept of change to facilitate free will.  Strawson begins by presenting the gamut of views concerning free will from the perspective of the Compatibilists and the Libertarian and No-Freedom Incompatibilists.   The philosophical view of the Compatibilist is that humans have free will and are morally responsible for their actions (Strawson, 1995).   According to Strawson, Compatibilists base their analysis of the condition of free will on the fact that it is compatible with the concept of determinism, which states that each action creates a pattern that makes subsequent actions or reactions unavoidable.This theory deems the determining factors that aff ect personality irrelevant and maintain that free will is absolute, despite the inclusion of determinism.   However, the presence of determinism in the Compatibilist view of free will actually nullify the viewpoint because how can you freely choose an option that has been predetermined?