The last year has been one of unprecedented interest in the moral and ethical aspects of farming.
The events of the BSE crisis are perhaps the clearest example, but by the end of the year questions surrounding genetically-modified crops were also under scrutiny. We should not be too narrow in defining the true range of ethical issues and remember that each era tends to focus on its own set of priorities.
If we were in the mid to late 1980s, many would point to huge food surpluses in Europe as evidence of the Common Agricultural Policy being unethical. Now that surpluses are not the issue of the day, it is safe for the morally-outraged to turn their attention to the next campaign. In recent years, there has also been an underlying view that farmers should be as efficient as possible in order to lessen their reliance on subsidy. Today, few people would actively support farming subsidies, but the focus has shifted, temporarily, from how much money farmers receive to whether they can be trusted with modern technology.
