PHI 445 Week 4 Discussion: The Effects of Business on Consumers and the Environment: Case Study: Perdue Farms

PHI 445 Week 4 Discussion: The Effects of Business on Consumers and the Environment: Case Study: Perdue Farms For this week’s discussion, I will address Perdue Farms advertising ads utilizing deontological theory. This case study takes place within the United States which operates within a mixed economy. The capitalistic nature allows for competitive business structures to manage and conduct business how they chose, while its socialistic nature sets laws, rules, policy, and regulations within the market to protect consumers, environment, trade, national interests, etc., providing the boundaries for business operations. As Perdue Farms name suggests, it is a part of the farming industry. Therefore, it is regulated by various governmental agencies which enforce laws. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) governs broad areas within the farming industry. Some examples include, Aquaculture, Livestock (beef. dairy, swine, poultry), Crop production, drinking water, the list goes continues (). The United States Department of Agriculture enforces rules and regulations upon farmers to include Agriculture Marketing Services (). Localized State agencies also factor into this industry. I will not get into specifics, as each State regulates differently, the critical take-a-way is that State agencies administer control within their States. Allow me to refresh our memory on the two characteristics of deontology provided by Professor Gloria (week one announcement), 1) Act only upon those actions that can be universalized for all as a moral guide. 2) Do not use persons as means to an end, only as ends in themselves (Zúñiga y Postigo, G., 2018). When watching Perdue’s cartoon ad in comparison to the farmer's video, I found myself presented with two sides of a story. On the one hand, Perdue leads me to believe that they are going above and beyond as a business to ensure they provide the freshest chicken throughout the industry. What does fresh mean? It is an important question. Collins English Dictionary provides these definitions; 1 not stale or deteriorated; newly made, harvested, etc.: fresh bread; fresh strawberries; 6 not canned, frozen, or otherwise preserved: fresh fruit; 21 in a fresh manner; freshly. When it comes to fresh chicken, it has to be alive then processed for consumption. I do not Personally feel Purdue falsely advertised in its cartoon ad. It stated the freshest chicken from farm to table. It did not mention living conditions. Not disclosing details does not mean they lied. Were they aware of the conditions on that farmer's property? We assume so, is that always the case given large businesses? Probably not. Either way, I do not agree with their treatment, the farmer can point the finger all he wants, but he still at fault none-the-less. While the farmer presents the ugly truths about mass production farming and presents facts we can identify, the video makes Perdue Farms out to be monsters. There are deformities in every species on the planet. Every species has deaths of newborns. Purdue claimed they go above and beyond inspections that are required by the FDA. Could that be true? Most assume no. There are always truths on both sides of a story. Each side can skew the facts or show us something they want us to see. I find moral issues present regarding the living conditions of the animals. As Kant's first characteristic can only be applied within the context of this discussion, I think it is crucial for businesses and consumers to be aware of manufactures and their products. Purdue should disclose these issues. People need to look at that facts. Supply and demand drive business. Who is to blame? Just Purdue and the farmers? Society? Society drives the demands. And the market is astronomical! Chickens only grow so fast, so naturally, these issues will arise. We have a moral responsibility to be good stewards towards all life on this planet. Even if we are raising livestock for food, they should be cared for accordingly! References: Cornelia, T. (2014, December 07). Chicken factory farmer speaks out. Retrieved from Fresh. (2014). In Collins Dictionaries (Ed.), Collins English Dictionary (12th ed.). London, UK: Collins. Retrieved from Laws and Regulations that Apply to Your Agricultural Operation by Farm Activity. (2018, December 11). Retrieved from Perdue Chicken. (2014, August 01). Perdue Cartoon Commercial - Fresh Taste. Retrieved from Rules & Regulations. (n.d.). Retrieved from Zúñiga y Postigo, G. (2015). The moral good in three traditional ethical theories [PowerPoint Slides].