Agroethics and Agricultural Research

Ethical values, or the patterns of choices that make for appropriate action, are transferred from generation to generation. Cooperation in agricultural research has become a motivating force in technical progress. Plant breeders have been among the leaders in such cooperation. The entire hybrid corn industry is a monumental tribute to that cooperation. The American farm family is not only a production unit but a social unit as well. Stereotypical American farm families are hardworking, skilled, and inventive. These characteristics are combined with strong independence, high moral character, trustworthiness, and a sense of fair play. Two centuries of agroethics have strongly affected the broader range of American values, politics, and public and private life. The intergenerational transmission of these values is traceable to the American farm family. A hundred years ago, nearly half the US population was directly engaged in agriculture. The US system of public sector higher education, research, and service is unique in many respects.