New Course At Colorado State Teaches Ethics In Agriculture
Monday, April 7, 1997
FORT COLLINS--A new course at Colorado State University is
preparing students who are pursuing careers in agriculture to
discuss the ethics behind many of the issues facing the industry.
The agricultural ethics class delves into the very subjects
American farmers and ranchers are asked to address by an
increasingly concerned public: pesticide use, animal welfare and
animal rights, sustaining land used to produce crops and managing
natural resources and the environment. The class, introduced
spring semester, is offered through the College of Agricultural
Sciences and College of Liberal Arts.
Robert Zimdahl, professor of weed science, teaches the
course with Bernard Rollin, a philosophy professor who has taught
a nationally-acclaimed course in veterinary ethics since 1978 as
part of Colorado State's veterinary medicine program. Rollin also
has taught a course since 1980 in ethics in animal agriculture
for the department of animal sciences.
Zimdahl, who joined Colorado State in 1968, created the
course and received additional support from a Mid-Career
Development Grant from the university, which encourages
experienced faculty to try areas of teaching or research that are
significant departures from their previous experience.
After conducting research on the effects of herbicides on
weeds for most of his career, Zimdahl wanted to refocus on
teaching students how to understand and appreciate the values of
individuals inside and outside the agricultural industry.
"Agricultural education has emphasized learning to do things
that increase food and fiber production," Zimdahl said. "Many of
the industry's practioners not only lack knowledge of their
ethical foundation, but are unable to articulate and defend their
values. This course examines the values underlying agricultural
practices and encourages students to learn and think about them."
Students enrolled in the class are currently debating the
ethics surrounding the explosion in biotechnology and
agricultural research, preservation of the family farm, and the
ethics of providing foreign countries with agricultural aid.
Speaking from his experience teaching animal and veterinary
ethics classes, Rollin said that students from opposite
viewpoints often realize they share a common ground and can work
together to resolve differences.
"Students who will become part of the agricultural community
need to be able to intelligently discuss subjects related to
their industry with an urban audience," said Rollin. "The whole
mentality needs to be laid bare that husbandry doesn't just have
to do with animals but also is connected to crop production and
sustaining the land."
A condensed version of the agricultural ethics course will
be taught June 15-20 as a continuing education course offered to
the public. The class for Colorado State students will be offered
every spring semester.
Philosophy is an increasingly important discipline in many
professions, such as engineering, research and agriculture, said
Michael Losonsky, chairman of Colorado State's philosophy
department. Losonsky points out that many companies want
employees who can discuss the ethics behind issues and reach a
consensus about them.
"There's a movement in the professional world to reflect on
what's right," Losonsky said. "The agricultural ethics course is
a good example of the kinds of service that philosophers can
perform for professions such as agriculture."
Adding ethics courses reinforces and broadens students'
perspectives of agriculture, said Kirvin Knox, dean of the
College of Agricultural Sciences.
"Ethics is a subject found in classical liberal curricula
but not common to the sciences until recent years," Knox said.
"This course will enrich and expand the ethics discourse among
students and faculty--another example of our commitment to high-
quality education for agricultural and other students."
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