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Speculative methods for exploring data ethics in food systems

Speculative methods for exploring data ethics in food systems
Speculative methods for exploring data ethics in food systems
This paper explores using design methods to examine ethical challenges in complex systems, specifically relating to technology design, policy, and governance surrounding new forms of data sharing and collaboration in food supply chains. In a research-through-design process, we developed speculative methods to examine how the incorporation of new technologies raises ethical considerations such as bias, transparency, and governance challenges in this sector. Design fiction artefacts were developed with an interdisciplinary team and assessed using the Moral-IT card deck. Through this process, we explored potential shortcomings, trade-offs, and dilemmas relating to speculative food data-sharing systems. The design methods enabled greater understanding of multifaceted challenges, supporting ethical practice in future design implementation and policy.
Food supply chains, card-based tools, design fiction, design for policy, ethics
1460-6925
975-998
Jacobs, Naomi
e72a8a32-6a96-495d-832b-79e3e553e166
Sacks, Justin
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Craigon, Peter J.
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Brewer, Stephen
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Frey, Jeremy
ba60c559-c4af-44f1-87e6-ce69819bf23f
Gutierreze, Anabel
ec4d7230-7f45-42c5-88e6-35c4b2899475
Pearman-Kanza, Samantha
b73bcf34-3ff8-4691-bd09-aa657dcff420
Manning, Louise
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Munday, Samuel
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Pearson, Simon
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Wintour, Alexsis
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Jacobs, Naomi
e72a8a32-6a96-495d-832b-79e3e553e166
Sacks, Justin
ddc2d702-f1bf-4301-98e7-490ef0cd2008
Craigon, Peter J.
2690596e-30e1-4cf5-b798-9d9abf9e531e
Brewer, Stephen
daf2475b-2d2a-496a-b13c-9b0c1fd9e1d8
Frey, Jeremy
ba60c559-c4af-44f1-87e6-ce69819bf23f
Gutierreze, Anabel
ec4d7230-7f45-42c5-88e6-35c4b2899475
Pearman-Kanza, Samantha
b73bcf34-3ff8-4691-bd09-aa657dcff420
Manning, Louise
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Munday, Samuel
d2246425-2b7c-478e-a934-b7e3c6aee384
Pearson, Simon
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Wintour, Alexsis
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Jacobs, Naomi, Sacks, Justin, Craigon, Peter J., Brewer, Stephen, Frey, Jeremy, Gutierreze, Anabel, Pearman-Kanza, Samantha, Manning, Louise, Munday, Samuel, Pearson, Simon and Wintour, Alexsis (2025) Speculative methods for exploring data ethics in food systems. The Design Journal, 28 (5), 975-998. (doi:10.1080/14606925.2025.2524974).

Record type: Article

Abstract

This paper explores using design methods to examine ethical challenges in complex systems, specifically relating to technology design, policy, and governance surrounding new forms of data sharing and collaboration in food supply chains. In a research-through-design process, we developed speculative methods to examine how the incorporation of new technologies raises ethical considerations such as bias, transparency, and governance challenges in this sector. Design fiction artefacts were developed with an interdisciplinary team and assessed using the Moral-IT card deck. Through this process, we explored potential shortcomings, trade-offs, and dilemmas relating to speculative food data-sharing systems. The design methods enabled greater understanding of multifaceted challenges, supporting ethical practice in future design implementation and policy.

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Accepted/In Press date: 21 June 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 30 June 2025
Published date: 2025
Keywords: Food supply chains, card-based tools, design fiction, design for policy, ethics

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 504165
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/504165
ISSN: 1460-6925
PURE UUID: 724d4cc5-6dbc-4cb5-b407-6099554538f1
ORCID for Jeremy Frey: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0842-4302
ORCID for Samantha Pearman-Kanza: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4831-9489
ORCID for Samuel Munday: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-5404-6934

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Date deposited: 28 Aug 2025 16:40
Last modified: 18 Oct 2025 02:00

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Contributors

Author: Naomi Jacobs
Author: Justin Sacks
Author: Peter J. Craigon
Author: Stephen Brewer
Author: Jeremy Frey ORCID iD
Author: Anabel Gutierreze
Author: Louise Manning
Author: Samuel Munday ORCID iD
Author: Simon Pearson
Author: Alexsis Wintour

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