Value is the regard that something or someone is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something or someone.
Our understanding of value is part of the foundation that builds our perspectives and worldviews and consequent structures and behaviors. These structures and behaviors are often inequitable and when we decide, design or act without understanding how we determine value, these inequalities are perpetuated.
Perspectives of value have played a large part in the foundations that have built the systems that we currently operate in. Value of farmed materials like cotton, tea and tobacco, had, and continue to have, more value than the lives of many. Whole communities were seen as lesser than the needs and wants of the few. This continues today across many nations as part of a system built on ‘lesser-than hierarchies. Hierarchies are built on the concept of diminished value of others. As a response to the recognized immorality and harm caused by this erroneous perspective, processes were created to protect both people and environments, such as the Constitution, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the Convention of Biological Diversity. These processes are based on fundamental and intrinsic value, and an attempt to address the horrors of exploitation.
Terra Ethics shared the perspective that systemic inequities are a symptom of the erroneous perspective that our value is attached to our status. Through an ecosystem's lens, the concept of acquired value is non-existent. Ecosystems do not discern the value of one species over another, there is a symbiotic relationship that exists in biodiversity, which in itself is largely an indicator of ecological health. Hence the return to regenerative agricultural practices, biomimicry and the growth of organics by dominant interests.
The reality is that we are part of a greater ecosystem that encompasses all others. The problematic perspective of acquired and exclusive value has, in turn, led to a centralization of power within many organizational structures, such that planning and decision making are made by only a select few determined by societal standards to be at the top of this value chain. The missing piece here is that these are positions in social organization, but in no way reflect the value of any individual. Historically, racism is based on the value of some over others, when in reality, the value of individuals is intrinsic.
Looking at this through a systems lens, the perspective of gauging the value of others is one of the ways that biases emerge. Living in a culture where portrayals of capabilities, intelligence, and deservingness are based on attributes such as race and education continuously reinforces both biases and notions of acquired value.
Remember erroneously constructed methods of gauging a person’s value lead to hidden biases that become ingrained in our operational systems. These biases are often hidden because the perceived value of people are consciously and unconsciously taught as part of education in schools, social education and global media education. The reality that our understanding of the world is based on our experience is common knowledge. The depth of how our positionality affects the perpetuation of harm, however, is a harder perspective to understand and requires deep self-reflection, understanding of systems. It is important to remember that, in each moment, we are able to better recognise how this perspective is shiftable, and the very act of exploring how, is in itself evolutionary.
There are perspectives at play here that are consistent in the value gauging of people, of ourselves, and others which turn into judgements which play a large part in denying access and perpetuating harm to all.
In practice, exploring biases based on acquired value is a tool to elucidate where in our systems inaccessibility is present. We know that BIPOC communities have historically been denied access. This is justified through the false idea that certain demographics, genders, etc. have more value and resources over others, allowing them to benefit from established processes (meant for everyone).
Exploring how to recognise equal and intrinsic value as a foundation, allows objectivity in operations and behaviors. Understanding how our own behaviors/oppressions are connected to notions of our own value being at stake at every turn is itself a deep process of unlearning centuries of misaligned/erroneous perspectives. (Please refer to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights)
What tools do you need to facilitate the incorporation of equal and intrinsic value perspective in your sector? Language, for example: how to create language within a sector that reflects equal and intrinsic value in order to explore shifts in processes. What barriers can you identify?
Reflect on how the agriculture sector may explore the concept of intrinsic value perspective to drive an effort to reorient both perspective and process. What would it look like if ecosystem services shifted from being solely transactional to fundamentally valuable?
How has gauging value transferred into how we behave? Where do we gauge value and how does that impact equity?
How can we support the shifting of our current systems into re-adjusting to intrinsic value to address inequitable perspectives, behaviors and structures?
Rights of Nature is an example of fundamental value, and a growing movement where intrinsic and fundamental value is being translated into western legal systems, while it emerged out of Indigenous law.
This Rights of Nature in Depth explores the topic.
Rights of Nature (RoN) and Earth Law Around the World to explore the geography of Rights of Nature
What is your Intrinsic Value? This resource explains how we can share the concept of intrinsic value with others and anchor it for ourselves- This concept is important when bringing fundamentals of equity into solution based discussions
This is a growing, evolving, and community-created resource. Please share any additional resources, personal experiences using this tool, or ways this page could be improved!