Ethical issues of slavery in chocolate industry

1.What are the systemic, corporate and individual ethical issues raised by this case? Slavery in the chocolate industry case has systemic, corporate and individual ethical issues.Firstly, from the point of systemic ethical issue , economic systems should be taken intoconsideration. Between 1996 and 2000, cocoa bean prices had declined. The decline wasdictated by the global forces over which farmers had no control. With low prices, farmersturned to slavery to try to cut labor cost for their survival in this situation. There is another systemic issue relates to the legal aspect of slavery in the chocolate industry.

Actually, slaveryon farms is illegal in the Ivory Coast but the law is rarely enforced. Open borders, a shortageof enforcement officers, and the willingness of local officials to accept bribes from membersof the slave trade all contribute to the problem.

Secondly, corporate ethical issue raised by the case. Middlemen who grind and processcocoa beans they acquire from the Ivory Coast and sell the product to manufacturers. Somiddlemen aware of the slavery labor problem.

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After the media attention and antislaverygroup activities, U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and U.S. Representative Eliot Engel, the membersof the Chocolate Manufacturers Association and the World Cocoa Foundation, together with several human rights groups and the Ivory Coast. signed Memorandum of Cooperation. They also agreed to establish a system of certification. But the problem is, they can not control over anything.

Because there are 1 million cocoa farms, most of them family farms and they located in remote rural regions. Lastly, there are some individual ethical issues in the case.

Cocoa farmers are at the center of the issue. Because, it is illegal to use child slavery labor. Also it is immorally wrong to take someone unwillingly. The second issue is the consumers who knows the problem, company names and continues to consumer their products. Consumers should not ignore it, because with every chocolate they buy, they contribute the continuation of the slavery in chocolate industry.

2. In your view, is the kind of child slavery discussed in this case absolutely wrong nomatter what, or is it only relatively wrong, i.e., if one happens to live in a society (likeours) that disapproves of slavery? I think the answer varies in culture to culture. But in my opinion, there is no way to acceptchild slavery. Children are kidnapped, sold and forced into harvesting. Farmers are beatingthem. From may point of view, children should not be used for labor. They should have aright to choose their lifestyle. They should have education and then contribute the country’seconomy and welfare. Regardless of the society one may live in, I think child labor isabsolutely wrong.

3. Who shares in the moral responsibility for the slavery occurring in the chocolateindustry: African farmers? African governments? American chocolate companies likeHershey, Mars, Nestle and Kraft foods? Distributors like Archer Daniels Midland Co.,Barry Callebaut, and Cargill Inc? Consumers like you and I who know about thesituation but continue to purchase tainted chocolate? I believe, African Farmers, African governments, American chocolate companies,distributors, consumers and people who know the situation, shares in the moral responsibilityfor the slavery occurring in the chocolate industry.

African farmers use child slavery labor.African government do not control over the rules. Middlemen buys cocoa beans from farmerswho use slavery labor. American chocolate companies know farmers use slavery labor andthey continue to work them. If we know the company names and continue to buy chocolatefrom them, we are also morally responsible for the child slavery labor. As a result, all actorsin the industry are responsible.