Abstract
In recent years, scientists and managers have advocated for the integration of the social sciences (particularly political science and economics) and the humanities (particularly moral philosophy) with the natural sciences (particularly entomology and ecology) in developing a full understanding of locust-management programs. In this paper, we pursue such a synthesis by using the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) as an exemplar case. After an overview of this insect’s biology, ecology, and management, we provide a brief summary of the standard, moral theories (utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics) and consider their shortcomings with regard to developing a framework for understanding the socioeconomic complexity of locust management. Next, we address some of the models of global justice and focus on two fundamental questions: Who is a moral agent with regard to desert locust management, and how should we justly distribute the responsibilities among agents during preventive and reactive modes? After identifying the agents, we use a fourfold set of principles to construct a framework for locust management consistent with global justice and apply this conceptual system to two hypothetical scenarios. We conclude with some observations from political philosophy that offer progress toward a comprehensive and applicable theory for locust management in the context of global justice.
Highlights
Locusts (Orthoptera: Acrididae) are among the most devastating pests in human agriculture
Understanding the insects themselves requires the study of biology, while their ecology demands an understanding of atmospheric science, chemistry, soil science, hydrology, and botany, among other fields
The proper question of justice is not, “Do I have any moral responsibility to assist those suffering from locust plagues?” Instead, in an attempt to lay the foundation for what we hope will be a continuing discourse on moral agency and the just allocation of responsibilities pertaining to locusts, we consider two essential questions: Who are the moral agents that can be held accountable for achieving justice, and how should the responsibilities for reactive and preventive programs be fairly distributed among these agents?
Summary
Locusts (Orthoptera: Acrididae) are among the most devastating pests in human agriculture This common name for these insects is derived from the Latin locus ustus, meaning “burnt place,” to describe the condition of the land after a swarm has passed. We argue that the scale and magnitude of locust swarms raise crucial normative questions of global justice that cannot be answered by natural scientific inquiry alone. We briefly review the triad of standard ethical theories (utilitarianism, deontology, and virtues) and make the case that features of locust population dynamics require us to apply theories of global justice From this argument, we address the two fundamental questions of who an agent of justice is and how responsibility should be fairly distributed among these agents. We conclude with the application of the most compelling theoretical frameworks to simplified but realistic case studies to illustrate how the principles of global justice could inform our policies and actions
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