Assignment task: Scientists in Switzerland for ears have created genetically modified produce, such as rice, corn, and apples. Recently, the question has been raised whether they ever stopped to think that their experiments may be "humiliating" to plants. A recently passed constitutional rule came into existence after the Swiss Parliament asked a panel of philosophers, geneticists, theologians, and lawyers to establish the "meaning" of a flora's dignity. The panel wrote a lengthy treatise on
the "moral consideration of plants for their own sake." The document argued that vegetation has an inherent value and that it is immoral to harm plants arbitrarily. One example of this would be the" decapitation of wildflowers at the roadside without any apparent reason."Defenders of the new law state that it reflects a broader, progressive effort to protect the sanctity of living things and promote sustainability. Switzerland also granted new rights to all "social animals." For example, prospective dog owners now have to take a four-hour course on pet care before they can acquire a dog. Anglers now have to learn how to catch fish humanely. Goldfish can no longer be flushed down the toilet as a means of disposal. First, they must be
anesthetized with special chemicals. One Swiss scientist recently exclaimed, "Where does it stop? Should we now defend the dignity of microbes and viruses?" In a related decision, the people of Ecuador passed a new constitution that is said to be the first to recognize ecosystem rights enforceable in a court of law. Now, the nation's rivers, forests, and air are right-bearing entities with "the right to exist, persist, and regenerate." One nonprofit organization that has formed to support this point of view is "Fair Flowers Fair Plants" an independent foundation representing international stakeholders in the flower industry striving for social and environmental standards.
Q1) Are plants stakeholders? What rights do they have? What about animals?
Q2) What is your view of the new rules passed in Switzerland and Ecuador? What, if any, limits should there be on who/what is a stakeholder and what their rights are?
Q3) From a business perspective what are the possible pros and cons of these rules? What about from a social or community perspective (as a citizen of those countries)?