Towards the institutionalization of ethics: agricultural experts’ knowledge of planning effective management of passive defense in Iran

Globally, agriculture is regarded as the pivot of independence and economic development. Threats to Iranian agriculture are serious and their management calls for the application of passive defense principles. The lack of structural mechanisms, poor knowledge, and poor skills in human resources are the main obstacles to the deployment of passive defense in the agricultural sector. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge of agricultural experts about effective passive defense management planning and moving towards its ethical institutionalization in Iran. The research methodology was based on a quantitative approach using a questionnaire-based survey. The final participants were selected using a proportional random sampling method, and finally, 97 males and 44 females were surveyed. The results indicated that the knowledge of the participants regarding the passive defense in agriculture was less than moderate (3.64 out of 10), showing its non-optimal condition. In addition, educational level and field of study brought about significant (p < 0.05) differences in knowledge of passive defense in the agricultural sector. However, the type of employment did not make a significant difference in the knowledge of passive defense in the agricultural sector. As a result, passive defense should be understood as a dynamic concept that needs moral institutionalization to face new agricultural challenges. This research has the potential to develop a passive defense framework by stimulating ethical concerns in the context of food security. It can also bring new insights to policymakers, planners, and agricultural experts in Iran and worldwide on the successful planning and institutionalization of passive defense management based on ethical principles.