Sci362 - Managing Environmental Issues Simulation

Managing Environmental Issues Simulation

SCI/362

Managing Environmental Issues Simulation

The relationship between the stakeholders in Week 4’s environmental issues simulation needs to equally considered and environmental justice must be applied to protect the indigenous peoples as well as the environment.  The stakeholders must choose the best path forward on the project that will be beneficial to all parties involved and not just produce the most profits.

Managing Environmental Issues: Simulation Background

The Environmental Issues Simulation assesses the activities of the pharmaceutical company Colney and Pitts as they plan to expand new operations in Kenya that will hopefully assist them in developing drugs to treat prostate cancer.  The company is a US firm based in California and will be dealing with the government of Kenya as well as the native Kikuyu people.  Colney and Pitts anticipates gathering a rare plant named Pygeum from the tribal lands of the Kikuyu people to study its properties that have been used for generations in treating various medical issues of older tribal males.  The simulation states that the company will be investing $250,000 into their research into the viability of using the Pygeum plant in their modern pharmaceutical products.  The company projects its earnings from this new drug to be around $220 million a year.  As a precaution, the International Center for Ethno Botanical Research will be monitoring the company’s project to protect the tribal land, Kikuyu people and the plant species from damage that may be irreversible.

Simulation Stakeholders

The key stakeholders of this simulation who will be impacted by the company’s expansion project are the Colney and Pitts shareholders, the Kikuyu people and the government of Kenya.  The shareholders have the potential to profit immensely from this project if the development of the new drug proves to be successful.  The native Kikuyu people may be the most impacted as stakeholders since it is their local habitat that could be changed from the efforts of this project to gather the Pygeum plants.  Another stakeholder that could be affected by this project is the Kenyan Agro Forestry Research Department which is tasked to protect the environments that exist within the borders of Kenya.  The International Center for Ethno Botanical Research is a nonprofit organization that has the mission to maintain environmental integrity and preserve indigenous lifestyles.  The final stakeholder involved in this project simulation is the ultimate end users of the cancer-treating drug since their very lives may depend on the success or failure of this endeavor. One of the biggest challenges of this project will be how to address the best interests of all stakeholders and ensure that it is mutually beneficial for all parties involved.