Written Regulations and Laws - Essay Example

?Written regulations and laws do not cover all potential marketing abuses by different companies especially those involved in the retail food market.Kotler & Armstrong (2004) argue that beyond the written laws and regulations, organizations are often guided by social codes and rules of professional ethics. However, some companies are forced to engage in ‘evil’ practices for the sake of generating profits from their operations. As such, this paper seeks to critically evaluate the aspect of marketing and selling genetically modified food to consumers which has been roundly condemned by other people as evil practice due to various reasons. The paper starts by summarising the ‘evil’ as well as its significance in as far as the welfare of the people is concerned. The main body of the paper will attempt to evaluate different views held by people towards this evil practice in business. There are different ethical considerations that ought to be taken into account by organizations that are responsible for marketing food to consumers. For instance, the aspect of healthiness of the food being sold and its impact on the environment are some of the issues that ought to be considered by food retailers. The aspect of selling food that has been produced using genetically modified organisms (GMO) has received mixed reactions from different sections of the society. This practice has come under criticism as a result of the fact that food produced using GMOs has side effects on the health of the consumers. Some scientists believe that food made from GMOs can cause health problems such as obesity among the consumers. This is an issue of ethical concern since it can negatively impact on the health of the consumers. Therefore, food retailers have an obligation to ensure that the products they sell do not endanger the health of the targeted consumers. Organizations that sell food often find themselves in a dilemma of fulfilling their profit oriented goals against the health concerns of the consumers. Ethically, the company’s values should not be compromised for financial gain (Rossow, 2004). Therefore, I strongly agree that marketing of food made from genetically modified organisms is an evil practice that should be checked by all responsible citizens. In most cases, developed countries sell or donate as aid food that has been made from GMOs to poor countries. There are some organizations that also manufacture food using GMOs and they sell it to unsuspecting consumers. In my opinion, I think this practice should be treated with the contempt it deserves. It is unethical to endanger the health of people for the love of money. Usually, when the concept of ethics is applied to business, some organizations tend to prioritise their profit oriented goals at the expense of the welfare of the consumers at large. It is important to ensure that the practice of the organization does not impact negatively on the targeted consumers since this is unethical. It is imperative for organisations that deal with the food industry to make sure that they are accountable for their actions. These organizations ought to make sure that they are socially responsible to the communities in which they operate. For instance, their activities should not be detrimental to the environment since this can negatively impact on the welfare of people. Chemicals and pesticides are often used in the production of genetically modified food. These destabilise the ecosystem and this in turn can disturb the natural environment in which people live. Therefore, evil practices in food production should be put at bay since they negatively impact on the life of the people in different communities. The other important aspect that should be taken into account is that cruelty to animals should be avoided as some of these organizations produce food that is genetically modified. It is unethical to engage in cruel practices to animals. The concept of religion is another important ethical consideration that ought to be taken into account by the organization (Hiti, 1999). People from different religious backgrounds have their norms and values that should not be violated by companies that market food to various consumers. A good example can be drawn from the Halaal system of the Moslems. Under this system, all the people who believe in this religion should uphold certain standards with regards to the type of food they consume. However, there are some unscrupulous companies that may sell food that is genetically modified which will be in contravention to the religious beliefs of the people involved. It is imperative for the organizations to try to strike a fine balance between their profit oriented goals and the health concerns of the targeted consumers. Efforts should be made in order to ensure that the practices of a certain company involved in the food industry are in compliance with the religious beliefs of the targeted consumers. Failure to do so may negatively impact on the credibility of the organization. However, some people have different views with regards to the aspect of marketing food produced from GMOs. Some parts of the globe are prone to perennial droughts such as Sub Saharan Africa and food production in these areas is very poor. In order to avert hunger and famine, it is important for other countries that are capable of producing food using GMOs to assist the affected countries. One advantage of using GMO technology in food production is that it is faster to produce food compared to other common practices such as growing plants in the fields or rearing animals meant for food production. Genetically modified food is also cheap compared to food that is produced through conventional means. Lives of millions of people in poor countries can be saved through the use of GMO technology. To a certain extent, it can be seen that GMO food is essential though it might have some side effects on the health of the consumers. Over and above, it can be concluded that the ‘evil’ of selling genetically modified food to consumers should be checked in order to safeguard the health of the people. Companies involved in retailing food should always prioritize the health of people instead of concentrating on their profit oriented goals. This will go a long way in creating a world that is comprised of healthy people. It is a good idea for companies that are involved in food production to devise other means that are environmental friendly when they produce food that is consumed by different people. This will also help to protect the natural environment. References Hiti, S 1999, Fundamentalism and family values inside corporations: Visions of ethical business. Financial times, Prentice Hall in association with Price Water House Coopers. Kotler, P & Armstrong, G 2004, Principles of Marketing. Pearson Education International: NJ. Rossouw, D, 2004, Business Ethics: (3rd Edition). Oxford: CT. Read More