Technocratic Management Versus Ethical Leadership Redefining Responsible Professionalism in the Agri-Food Sector in the Anthropocene

Vincent Blok

doi:10.1007/s10806-018-9747-2

Abstract

In this contribution, we argue that three related developments provide economic, environmental and social challenges and opportunities for a new responsible professionalism in the food chain: (1) the Anthropocene; (2) the bio-based economy; (3) Precision Livestock Farming. These three interrelated developments indicate a transition in the way we understand the role and function of the food chain on the micro-, the meso- and the macro-level. This transition can be understood in two fundamental different ways, namely either as an extension of technocratic management beyond the micro level to the meso- and macro-level of the food chain, or as a transition to a new responsible professionalism. We argue that the technocratic approach is not able to address the socio-ethical issues that come along with these three development, and argue for a new responsible professionalism in the agri-food chain in the Anthropocene based on normative and action competence.

Highlights

We argue that three related developments—the new geological epoch which is called the Anthropocene, the transition to the bio-based economy (BBE), and the introduction of precision lifestock farming (PLF)—provide economic, social and environmental challenges for the agri-food sector, and opportunities for a new conceptualization of responsible professionalism
Because the three interrelated developments—Anthropocene, biobased economy and precision livestock farming—indicate a transition in the way we understand the role and function of the food chain on the micro, the meso- and the macro-level, but the technocratic approach is not able to address the socio-ethical issues that come along with it, we argue for a new responsible professionalism in the food chain
We argue for a new responsible professionalism in the food chain, because the complexity and wickedness of global problems like climate change can no longer be solved by the unilateral application of ethical norms in the Anthropocene

Summary

Introduction

We argue that three related developments—the new geological epoch which is called the Anthropocene, the transition to the bio-based economy (BBE), and the introduction of precision lifestock farming (PLF)—provide economic, social and environmental challenges for the agri-food sector, and opportunities for a new conceptualization of responsible professionalism. Because the transition to the BBE provides a paradigm in which earth-oriented values become central in and form the basis of economic considerations, while it at the same time raises ethical issues of inter- and intra-generational equity (Murray et al 2017), the BBE provides huge challenges and opportunities for a new responsible professionalism in the food chain.

Results

Conclusion