Ethical or Unethical Socially and Environmentally - Essay Example

Ethics in cocoa production Cocoa has been in use over years in beverages and its growing has been embraced as an important economic activity by many within the cocoa growing regions like within the Western African countries. However, a controversy in ethics as are observed within the industry between production, processing and the chain of distribution has been in question (Bennett & Guthrie, 2001). This paper therefore intends to evaluate the ethical concerns that have been associated with social and environmental impacts that emanate from the whole industry in which cocoa is involved.

DiscussionThis paper takes a special attention on the proposition that cocoa production is both socially as well as environmentally unethical. Social reasonsThere are various concerns that have been pointed out to be of social interest while analyzing the ethic observed while producing cocoa. Among these issues is abusive children labor, issues with profit and protection as well as lack of proper ownership structures (Berlan, 2009). In regard to child labor, it has been established that a lot of children suffer trafficking and are taken to serve within the cocoa production farms as well as through the processing plants.

In spite of increased efforts by the government to control the issues of forced labor on children, children trafficking as well as abusive practices on children within cocoa farms, the activities prevail and this is termed as unethical (Isern, 2006). This therefore shows that the entire process of producing cocoa can be said to be unethical socially as show through the abusive child labor is propagated.On the other hand, profit protection has also been termed as unethical and has been shown to persist within the cocoa farms.

This is propagated by all players, right from the farmers, the middle men as well as the people involved in chain of delivery who all strive to maximize on their profit margins. In the process of targeting the high profits, the production has been characterized by unethical behavior hence the support of the thesis statement. Besides, lack of ‘ownership’ as is the common excuse adopted by all players within cocoa production industry has been used to explain propagation of the social vices like the trafficking of children and the unreasonably high prices.

Every culprit interjected reasons that he/she has bought the product from middle men and hence the social concern (Blowfield, 2003). Environmental reasonsBesides the economic sense that is associated with production of cocoa, players within the system of production have been pointed ought on unethical behavior on farming practices which have contributed to environmental pollution through dumping of chemicals and fertilizers on the ground and in water sources (Johns, 1999). Besides, processing of the commodity and the packaging of products that contain cocoa have also been shown to have adverse effects on the environment especially through use of non-degradable wrappers.

Corruption and lack of ethical concern an especially towards environmental conservation have been pointed out as the main factor that have exacerbated the problem. Therefore, the entire cocoa production process has been shown to show little if at all ethical concern towards the environment hence the support of the thesis statement of this paper (Ololade et al, 2010). ConclusionIt would be therefore justified to reason that the entire process involved in cocoa production fails to honor ethical standards towards both the society and the environment.

ReferencesBerlan, A. (2009). Child labour and cocoa: Whose voices prevail? The International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy,29(3), 141-151.Bennett, R., & Guthrie, J. (2001). Unicef joins row over chocolate ethics. Financial Times Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/248987165?accountid=45049Blowfield, M. (2003). Ethical supply chains in the cocoa, coffee and tea industries. Greener Management International, (43), 15-24.Isern, J. (2006). Bittersweet chocolate: The legality and ethics of child labor in cocoa production in côte divoire.

 Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, 11(1), 115-132.Johns, N. D. (1999). Conservation in brazils chocolate forest: The unlikely persistence of the traditional cocoa agroecosystem. Environmental Management, 23(1), 31-47.Ololade, I. A. et al (2010). A study on effects of soil physico-chemical properties on cocoa production in ondo state. Modern Applied Science, 4(5), 35-43.