Ethical Minefields: Chocolate Edition

From Scott: "Living in the modern world is an ethical minefield where one is never entirely sure whether or not bits and pieces of your value system haven't already been blown off, and you didn't realize it because you weren't paying the right kind of attention."

Hear hear.

I don't  completely agree that this is only a problem of "the modern world," because people have wrestled with their consciences forever.  But in a way this is a modern affliction, because today we have much more information about what happens around the world than our ancestors did. Much of this information is about bad things happening to some people (or animals), in ways that benefit other people with more money and power. 

Let's take one popular commodity: chocolate.  It's usually delicious, comes in pleasing varieties, and makes for a nice gift.  But...umm....sometimes slaves pick the cocoa that goes into the chocolate. 

Then again, perhaps not--there are two sides to any story.

For the moment, then, let's stipulate that there are some terrible abuses in the chocolate industry, but that it's not so dire as activists proclaim.  Whatever the extent of the injustice, a dilemma remains.

For me, this dilemma boils down to hypothetical scenarios.  Should I refuse all chocolate just in case some is "tainted?"  What about gifts from well-meaning and good-hearted friends? How realistic is it to say to someone, "Thanks, but no thanks...a slave picked those cocoa beans?"  But what's a little awkwardness compared to the value of a slave's life? 

Etc., etc, etc. The questions have no end, but all boil down to this: In the very lengthy supply chain that brings chocolate to my home, where does my responsibility begin and end?

Not to pick on chocolate too much--the same questions hold for any product on the market.

What should I do? Refuse to buy anything, make all my own clothes and grow all my own food?  I'd still need to take the train to work. That's partially paid for by taxes, some of which are levied on the profits from activities I don't support.  Now that I think about it, my entire salary as a public employee comes from tax dollars. Maybe I should simply reject my paycheck and refuse to leave my apartment (until we're evicted because we couldn't pay the rent). At least I won't be "tainted."

None of this will happen, of course--I will pay the rent and sometimes eat chocolate, especially when it's a gift.  And I'll make many other ethical compromises on a daily basis, multiple times per day. 

Maybe ignorance really is bliss, but it's not an option. So herewith, my own tenuous solution to the problem of "ethical precepts vs. everyday realities":

1. Within the sphere of your immediate control, try to behave as respectfully towards others and the environment as you possibly can (this is challenge enough).

2. Seek to be aware of the realities of life outside your immediate control, especially as they intersect with your own.

3. Challenge injustices when and where you can, but keep in mind that if everyone behaved admirably within their own immediate spheres (step # 1) you wouldn't have to worry about this.

This seems to be evolving into the familiar slogan, "Think globally, act locally."  That's all to the good, except when one's awareness of global ills negates appreciation for the value of those locally good acts.  So in the end, what can we do? Make sure that when the abacus of our lives is totaled up at the end, there are substantially more chips in the world-affirming column.

Comments

[MarkD]

Marcus, your moral dilemma reminds me of a story from the Bible. Forgive me it has been a while since I read the Bible so I may have got some of the details wrong. Anyway, after a hard day on the road Jesus and his disciples stopped for the evening to rest. Mary, in her generosity, produced some expensive oils and lotions to sooth their weary bodies. Judas berated her for wasting money on such luxuries while others went hungry and were oppressed. And what did Christ say? He said that the poor and injustice will forever be with us and allowed Mary to continue.

The moral of the story, yes there is injustice in the world. Much of what we wear, eat, use in our daily lives most likely has caused pain and suffering to others in some fashion. But there are some things we cannot change. Jesus' lesson to Judas. Don't worry about the actions of others, worry only about your own actions. Enjoy and be thankful for what you have (including chocolate), don't be judgmental and do good.

As a postscript: If you stopped eating that chocolate what do you think the result would be for the "slaves?" What happens to slaves who have no work? Are you really doing good by not eating the chocolate? It is hard to say. As for me, I don't like chocolate and rarely eat it. Does that mean I am morally superior than you by default?

[Marcus]

Thanks MarkD. Perhaps it's worth noting that Judas--seemingly so righteous here--went on to betray Jesus with a kiss.

I go cycles of agony about how I benefit from the suffering of others, and apathy about the fact there's not much I can do. But at the very least goodness is possible in our own spheres.

[Wevbo]

Hi Marcus,

I wonder if another way to look at this situation is to say that we need to reform the economic system that puts us at such a polar extreme from the manual laborers of the world. I do think that shareholder activism and public relations pressure has, for example, forced industry leaders like Starbuck's (especially) and Costco (somewhat) to revise some of their business practices. Has there been a wholesale change in global economics? No, but it's a start.

In the meantime, I think it's fine to refuse gifts of chocolates (for example) from friends, with a polite explanation. If you suspect/feel moral outrage at how chocolate is made, surely that takes precedent over decorum? And, won't your strong opinion spark some curiosity in them to better understand the global system of chocolate production?

The flip side of your information dillema is that you can find organizations that do conduct business without slave labor. For chocolate, coffee, tea, fruit, rice, spices, etc., here's a good start:

http://transfairusa.org/content/certification/licensees2.php

I think you're right to say that it's tricky to live and spend ethically in our consumer culture. But, if that's really a priority, I don't think it's impossible. It reminds me of two quotes I like, both from Gandhi:

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

"Hate the sin. Love the sinner."

[Marcus]

Thanks John. Very good link from TransFair USA.

Hopefully writing this blog post has convinced people that I really don't want gifts of chocolate. But it's hard for me not to honor the intent of a gift from someone I believe is a good person...because I know that if you dig hard enough everyone is compromised, so it's hard to know where to draw the line. For example, the electricity powering my blog's servers could be better used powering a hospital ward in Bangladesh.

Probably just rationalizations on my part, of course.