Problems of trust: A question of trustworthiness : An ethical inquiry of trust and trustworthiness in the context of the agricultural and food sector

Abstract

Trust is on the public agenda. This general attention to trust is remarkable, because it is not a new phenomenon. It has a long tradition and has been considered as an essential element within a society for ages. On top of this, trust is essential for social life, but also implicit by nature. All this attention to trust is a signal putting us on the alert. People have to rely on others, but often do not know whom to trust. I call this the 'problem of trust'. To focus on this problem in general runs the risk of making the discussion rather indefinite. To forestall such vagueness I focus my analysis on a specific sector: the agricultural and food sector. The problem of trust can easily be recognised in this sector. The study analyses the ‘problem of trust’ as a question of trustworthiness. Rather than conceiving the problem of trust as a failure of the truster, I treat the public attention to trust as a sign of questions of trustworthiness. This is, as a problem that focuses on the competence and motivation of the trustee. In the analysis I am especially interested in the moral dimensions that play a role in a trusting relationship, and I argue that trustworthiness on an institution level has to start in the respect for the truster as an autonomous person.