Of firms and farms: Agricultural ethics and the problem of compensation

Compensating farmers out of public funds for financial losses due to advers e weather conditions and animal diseases is fairly common in most Western c ountries. This government policy differs from that towards entrepreneurs in other economic branches. What justifies this differential treatment? In th e first part of this article, three theories of justice are presented that offer a general framework for dealing with problems of compensatory justice . In the second part, the possibilities of justifiying differential treatme nt of agriculture within each of these theories are explored. It is conclud ed that compensatory practices in agriculture require fundamental rethinkin g in view of the changing technological, economic, and cultural conditions of agriculture.