Q

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, short age 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. Most margin of the profit goes
in the pocket of middle man. And farmer suffers, he tries to reduce
his cost and focus on child slavery. Child works at farms without
wages, sunshine to night.

Q:-2
That is absolutely wrong to get work from child without of wages.
It’s against the child slavery act. One of the major aims set for
the International Labor Organization (ILO) at its founding in 1919
was the abolition of child labor. Historically, the ILO’s principal tool
in pursuing the goal of effective abolition of child labor has been
the adoption and supervision of labor standards that embody the
concept of a minimum age for admission to employment or work.
Furthermore, from 1919 onwards the principle that minimum age
standards should be linked to schooling has been part of the
ILO’s tradition in standard setting in this area. Convention No. 138
provides that the minimum age for admission to employment shall
not be less than the age of completion of compulsory schooling.
The ILO’s adoption of Convention No. 182 in 1999 consolidated
the global consensus on child labor elimination. It provided much-
needed focus without abandoning the overarching goal,
expressed in Convention No. 138, of the effective abolition of
child labor. Moreover, the concept of the worst forms helps set
priorities and can be used as an entry point in tackling the
mainstream child labor problem. The concept also helps to direct
attention to the impact of work on children, as well as the work
they perform.

Q:-3
The moral responsibility for slavery in the chocolate industry is shared
by many. The farmers and plantation owners to begin should not be
using these children for labor under any circumstances. The African
Government also shares are large portion of the responsibility by their
continual inaction and sometimes support of these farmers. They also
seem to be covering up corruption by keeping out media. The consumers
to some extent share responsibility especially if and once they have been
made aware of these conditions they continue to purchase from these
large companies. They are giving a passive consent to continue doing
whatever they choose. Finally, I feel the largest responsibility is on the
chocolate companies and the cacao distributors who continue to
purchase from these farmers, some of which are in very close proximity,
even after it has been proven that they are trafficking children. They have
not only signed agreements saying that they would not continue this
practice but it is illegal, immoral, and most definitely unethical. An
additional reason that I believe that the cacao distributors and chocolate
companies are the most responsible is due to the fact that they can afford
to pay these farmers much higher wages and provide some oversight at
these plantations that could help prevent this trafficking of children.
Although, the farmers are responsible, this has been a way of life and
such an acceptable practice for so long in their culture that I believe that
the more industrialized countries and organizations must come in and
teach new ethics and acceptable behaviors to the farmers, the villages,
and parents that often not only do not stop the traffickers but sell the
children or send them to earn money. Consider the bill Representative
Engel and Senator Harkin attempted to enact in law but was unsuccessful
because of lobbying by the chocolate companies. What does this
incident show about the view that "to be ethical, is it enough for business
people to follow the law"?