Code of Ethical Conduct

Preamble

Agridiscovery Foundation (ADF) is founded on a strong ethical foundation. Establishment and maintenance of trust in our staff, members and community is paramount; as a result we expect that they will adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct, as expressed in this Code.

The Code is comprised of four parts:

1. Protection of the public interest

2. Demonstration of personal integrity

3. Maintenance of confidentiality and privacy

4. Showing respect for colleagues and collaborators

A commitment to adhere to the Code is required for all staff, directors and legal members of the Foundation, and we highly recommend it to others involved in our community.

ADF is home to an open, safe and inclusive space fostering sharing and collaboration regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, level of experience, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual orientation. While disagreements are normal, we expect our community to act appropriately in dealings not only with ADF but also  with business relationships, colleagues and the general public. We expect participants in any project or group to resolve disagreements constructively. When they cannot, matters should be escalated within established structures for resolution.

Dishonourable or questionable conduct, including conduct that may be adverse to the public interest or lacks integrity, will reflect adversely on the Member, ADF, and the open source practitioner profession. If the conduct is such that knowledge of it would be likely to impair trust in the community member as a professional, then ADF will be justified in taking disciplinary action.

Members who contravene portions of this code because they believe that strict adherence would cause clearly-demonstrated danger to the public (eg, “whistleblowing”) will not necessarily be considered in breach for the purpose of disciplinary action. Community members are encouraged to obtain legal advice in such situations.

Determination of breaches of this code and appropriate disciplinary remedies will be done on a case-by-case basis.

This Code applies as a condition of membership but we expect everyone in our community to follow it. For more information or to report a breach, contact ethics@agridiscovery.com.

Protection of the Public Interest

Community members are expected to:

1. carry out their work with due regard for public health, public safety, human rights and the environment;

2. support the integrity of and public trust in ADF and Caribbean agriculture;

3. prefer or recommend open source software and open access publishing as appropriate;

4. fully disclose, to relevant parties, any conflicts of interest that exist or might be seen to exist by an independent observer.

Demonstration of Personal Integrity

Community members are expected to:

1. act with good faith and honesty in their professional and collaborative interactions;

2. inform others of any situations which might be seen to impair their professional judgment;

3. possess sufficient technical knowledge, as well as awareness of relevant standards, regulations and legislation, in order to perform their professional tasks;

4. respect the creative rights of others and honour patents, copyrights and trademarks.

Maintenance of Confidentiality and Privacy

Community members are expected to:

1. maintain confidentiality in professional relationships, unless explicitly waived;

2. abstain from gossip about individuals or organizations with which the Community member has professional relationships, regardless of source;

3. respect trade secrets, privacy and terms of license or other applicable agreements; and

4. decline work for any instance that may demand disclosure of confidential activity done elsewhere.

Showing Respect for Colleagues and Collaborators

Community members are expected to:

1. engage the ADF community and other collaborative working environments as open, safe and inclusive through courtesy and mutual respect;

2. be thoughtful in choice of words, to be respectful, and not to insult, attack, harass, denigrate or discriminate against others;

3. use clear and precise ways to express the ideas they are trying to share, considering language and cultural barriers which may occur;

4. actively seek to welcome newcomers and to mentor, promote, advise, and advance those with potential to have impact in their communities;