ABSTRACT
This chapter asks what is good about the concept of the good farmer. That is, what are the moral and ethical ideas implied when someone is referred to as a good farmer. The corollary then exists that some people are considered bad farmers. Drawing on insights from moral philosophy and the social science of morality, this chapter examines the conflicting boundaries, meanings, and interpretations that arise between those considered ‘good farmers’ and others. The outcomes of those conflicts then have significant consequences for the kinds of policies implemented and the public response to those policies with particular attention paid to the outcomes for farmers and ecosystems.
