The Role of Universities in the Provision of Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics Teaching in the Agricultural Sector

Abstract

Few industries have as direct a link between economics and the environment as the agricultural industry (Diebel, 2008) and as such this paper analyses the CSR and ethics teaching in agricultural schools in four English speaking countries. The four countries have distinct policy and cultural differences with regards to areas such as environmental protection, animal welfare and the use of biotechnology. The study analyses the differences between agricultural schools by means of a content analysis of syllabuses for institutions in each of the countries. The analysis finds significant differences in the provision of CSR and ethics teaching as a result of geographical location of the institution although interestingly the analysis failed to yield expected difference in CSR and ethics teaching provision as a result of institutional ranking. Among the most interesting areas for future research as suggested by this review is the analysis of the antecedents of the public’s ethical standing with regard to the agricultural industry. Recent events have seen an increased focus on the role of business schools in the provision of corporate social responsibility (hereinafter CSR) and ethics teaching (Cornelius, Wallace, & Tassabehji, 2007). There has been comparatively little analysis of CSR and ethics teaching provision in other sectors. The subject is of considerable interest to businesses as research has shown that the CSR and ethics which a company displays affects its financial performance (Zairi & Peters 2002; Fombrun & Shanley, 1990). The public increasingly sees businesses as the cause of environmental degradation, (Porter & Kramer, 2011) consumers have as a result become increasingly eco-aware and ethically conscious with regard to their purchasing habits (Wilson, 200). This paper looks at implications for teaching sustainable agriculture.