SUMMARY

Slave traders are trafficking boys ranging from the age of 12 to 16 from their
home countries and are selling them to cocoa farmers in West Africa. They work
on small farms across the countries, harvesting the cocoa beans day and night,
under inhumane conditions.
The horrendous conditions under which children must toil on the cocoa farms of
the West Africa are even more jarring when the facts are juxtaposed with the
idea that much of this cocoa will ultimately end up producing something that
most people associate with happiness and pleasure: chocolate. The connection
serves to illustrate that the existence of misery in one part of the world and joy
in another part are no longer divorced as nations are connected together in a
globalized web of trade.
In addition to the very illegality of trafficking and hiring children workers, the
implicated cocoa farmers subject the children to inhuman living conditions.
Besides neither overworking them, the farmers do not pay the children nor feed
them properly-often times they are allowed to eat corn paste as their only meal.
The denigration also includes locking the children up at night to prevent escape.
Although it is only one of many occurrences of bonded labour.
A English channel made a documental complaining this situation and showing
that the largest American cocoa companies buy this cocoa beans.
In 2001, a plan initiated by the U.S.'s Chocolate Manufacturers Association which
is called the Harkin-Engel Protocol, and it will be implemented with the support
and cooperation of the US and foreign governments and various NGOs around
the world. The plan's goal is to conform to the ILO Convention 182 in establishing
mechanisms to end the worst forms of child labour. (Chocolate Manufacturers
Association). In the first step of the plan, the industry implemented a formal
survey conducted under USAID to examine the pervasiveness of child slavery in
the West African region.
In 2005 this plan didnt work because is to complicate controlling all the cocoa,
there are more than 1.000.000 of cocoa farmers and the price of cocoa is
reduced more and more.

QUESTIONS

1 What are the systemic, corporate, and individual ethical issues

raised by this case?

The case Slavery in the Chocolate Industry discusses labour exploitation in the
chocolate industry. It specifically addresses the cocoa beans grown on farms in
West Africa, especially the Ivory Coast and Ghana, which make up close to half of
the worlds chocolate. The cocoa farmers of these nations, however, often rely on
slaves to harvest their beans, and in some cases, enslavement of young males
.The systemic ethical issues raised by this case include economic, political, and
legal questions. Let us first look at the economic repercussions. Would it be
economically logical not to do any business with these countries? The answer is
no, considering close to half of the worlds chocolate is made from the cocoa
beans that are grown in the Ivory Coast and Ghana. If we were to refuse to do
any business with these countries or the people associated with these countries,
the costs of the products may be un-affordable to consumers. As far as political
issues, Im sure were not the only country who does business with these other
countries, and if we stop doing business with the ivory coast and Ghana the
other countries that also do business with them may stop doing business with us.
The last systematic issue raised is legal. Slavery on the farms is in illegal in the
Ivory Coast. Whether it is or how well the laws are enforced is for the most part
out of our control
2 In your view, is the kind of child slavery discussed in this case
absolutely wrong no matter what, or is it only relatively wrong, if
one happens to live in a society that disapproves of slavery?
I feel slavery of any kind is wrong whether the society approves or disapproves of
it. However, throughout history slavery has been a common practice of most
societies across the world. If the young boys in this case had been treated
better, for example better working conditions, better sleeping conditions, better
living conditions, and better treatment in general would this article ever have
appeared? Probably not, I think the major moral issue here is the treatment of
the boys and kidnapping them from different places and making them work
rigorously against their will. Again kidnapping is violation of law
3 Who share in the moral responsibility for the slavery occurring in
the chocolate industry? Chocolate companies? Farmers?
Distributors? Consumers?

In conclusion, I believe there are multitude of people and groups that share the
moral responsibility for slavery occurring in the chocolate industry. While slavery
is most prominent in West Africa because they are the leading exporter of cocoa
beans, slave labour exists in many of the worlds agricultural sectors (Chocolate
and slavery: child labour in Cote dIvoire, 2002).Through the various trade
relations, many people are inevitably implicated in this problem, whether it is the
Ivory Coast Government, the farmers, the chocolate manufacturers, or
consumers who both knowingly and unknowingly buy chocolate (Chocolate and
slavery: child labour in Cote dIvoire,2002). Many groups are responsible for the
depredations against these children, but without question, the people most able
to end their sufferings are chocolate manufacturers and government officials. As
you will learn, however, the chocolate industry in general has done little to
eliminate the slavery in its supply chain, and, indeed, has played a central role in
creating and perpetuating it. The politicians, meanwhile, are all talk and no walk.
Unfortunately, it seems that the industry will continue its evil ways, and
lawmakers will continue to let them, so long as there is no public outcry against
them. This is one way to tell them. Another way is by not buying their tainted
products. Sadly, most businesses only understand one thing profit and
chocolate makers are no exception. Encourage the small, but burgeoning, market
in chocolate thats exploitation-free, while hitting the slavery-exploiting
companies where it hurts in their pocketbooks.

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 into consideration. Between 1996 and 2000, cocoa
bean prices had declined. The decline was dictated by the global forces over
which farmers had no control. With low prices, farmers turned 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, slavery
on farms is illegal in the Ivory Coast but the law is rarely enforced. Open borders,
a shortage of enforcement officers, and the willingness of local officials to accept
bribes from members of the slave trade all contribute to the problem.
Secondly, corporate ethical issue raised by the case. Middlemen who grind
and process cocoa beans they acquire from the Ivory Coast and sell the product
to manufacturers. So middlemen aware of the slavery labor problem. After the
media attention and antislavery group activities, U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and
U.S. Representative Eliot Engel, the members of 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 no matter what, or is it only relatively wrong, i.e., if
one happens to live in a society (like ours) that disapproves of slavery?
I think the answer varies in culture to culture. But in my opinion, there is no way
to accept child slavery. Children are kidnapped, sold and forced into harvesting.
Farmers are beating them. From may point of view, children should not be used
for labor. They should have a right to choose their lifestyle. They should have
education and then contribute the countrys economy and welfare. Regardless of
the society one may live in, I think child labor is absolutely wrong.

3. Who shares in the moral responsibility for the slavery occurring in

the chocolate industry: African farmers? African governments?
American chocolate companies like Hershey, Mars, Nestle and Kraft
foods? Distributors like Archer Daniels Midland Co., Barry Callebaut,
and Cargill Inc? Consumers like you and I who know about the situation
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
responsibility for 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 farmers who use slavery labor. American
chocolate companies know farmers use slavery labor and they continue to work
them. If we know the company names and continue to buy chocolate from them,
we are also morally responsible for the child slavery labor. As a result, all actors
in the industry are responsible.