The two readings this week: the chapter named “Reluctant Entrepreneurs” by Abhijit Banerjee and Ester Duflo as well as “The Parable of the Black Sheep” by Vijay Sharma both take a unique approach to the idea of entrepreneurship in the lower class.
Banerjee and Duflo take this on in a micro-finance directed way as they share their struggles to find entrepreneurs that would accept Al Amana’s loans as funding. “Al Amana is one of Morocco’s largest MFI’s in rural communities that had previously been completely excluded from formal financial sources.” In our capitalistic and western society, there are thousands of people looking for money to start and build their ideas and businesses. In the small villages in Moracco which Al Amana was targeting to assist, small business owners with different cultural beliefs, backgrounds, environments and more... just simply were not interested in the additional monetary assistance. I thought the story of Allal Sedan, a father and very small “business” owner was not interested in the loans as according to Sedan, there was no room for them to go and that he simply has enough. In America, it almost feels as if there is never enough and that our society is always pushing for bigger things and for what we consider to be better things. In other cultures that is not necessarily the ultimate goal, but hanging in there tends to be good enough. Another part about this reading that I thought was important is the way they distinguished between marginal return versus overall return. For funding, this is an important distinction as even though your marginal return may be high, your overall return, aka your profit, may be extremely low. A main point of this chapter, I thought, is the fact that it costs money to make money. It not only costs money in the forefront, but as an entrepreneur and small business owner you must also have a plan of action as to use the money to build and/or start your business so it will succeed. “If you have very little, use your ingenuity to make something out of nothing” is one of the quotes that stuck out to me in this reading. Entrepreneurship and what we study in our fair trade class gives those that have very little, a potential and a path to ultimately succeed. Creating something like selling “dosas, the rice and lentil pancakes,” like many in Morocco do, is not going to give you a path to economic prosperity, but something completely transformative and unique can. I thought this reading was interesting as it kind of approached entrepreneurship of the lower class in a harsher but honest way. Microcredit allows these smaller businesses to continue to expand, but owners and entrepreneurs have to be willing to take risks and broaden their ideas in order for it to truly work.
Additionally, as Stacie mentioned in her post about “The Parable of the Black Sheep,” I am also not a fan of the attitude that poor people enjoy being poor or that those in that position deserve it for a certain reason. While I definitely don’t agree with that, something I did take from that attitude is that those that appear to be stuck in a class or in a position can do something to change it, but it has to be from within. It is obvious that Sharma is an intelligent individual and was lucky enough to be so, and thus find a way out of “his fate.” Not all people are so blessed, however. But I do agree that “it takes a lot of courage to get away from these boundaries,” and that individuals have to be willing to work hard and struggle to get to a different place. Another quote that stood out to me is that “schools should encourage children to not agree with or accept the status quo.” I do agree with this as I believe if you reject the status quo, then your opportunities are greatened and you have no limit to what you can accomplish. One of the strongest things that I personally advocate for is the power of education and what doors having good teachers and the use of our abilities, can do. I thought the switch between the first, middle, and last school was really interesting and you could see what having an education allowed Sharma to become. It would have been easy to fall down the path of the cricket playing boys, but luckily due to having an educated father and mother he realized he was gifted with that potential. I think everyone has potential at the beginning, but how you apply your education, surroundings, etc.. is what separates people.
These two readings tie together in different approaches to the lower class, but I believe ultimately send the same message that in order to move ahead and succeed, you must be willing to put in the effort with time, money, energy, and creativity. Changing your environment and position is not an easy task but entrepreneurship and micro-finance give individuals the opportunities they would not previously have and gives them a way to escape the path others see for them. This is why Fair Trade is so great, because it gives individuals a path to change their lives on their own and for their community as well.
Jacqueline Novogratz’s article, “The Education of a Patient Capitalist,” in her book, “The Blue Sweater,” was incredibly informative about the path she took and the difficulties that working with a non-profit, entail. Although she mentions many roadblocks and changes in the thinking about the eventual funding of the “Acumen Fund,” in the end Novogratz shows how important assisting the poor truly is.
I found a lot of wisdom throughout Novogratz’s chapter, especially when she had to re-mold the idea of what she wanted to do, to what was plausible. For example, the original idea of the Acumen fund was to find entrepreneurs and businesses in less developed countries, and give grants/donate to help their businesses grow in a way that would hopefully help bridge the gap between the poor and the rich. Novogratz modeled her organization as if she were running a for-profit funding business, but without interest and necessary pay-back, as she referred to her donors as “investors,” and planned to let them know about major failures and successes. They would not “get any money back from your investment, but change.” I personally really liked Novogratz’s charity proposal, and would have thought many people would have invested in it but I was surprised by how many individuals turned her down, and additionally that one investment banker even said, “your idea of combining business and philanthropy not only won’t work, it is misguided.” After all the funding was received, I liked how honest Novogratz was about their path as they spent an entire summer searching for enterprises that fit their model on heath technologies w/ a focus on India and East Africa, and only found one entrepreneur by the end: Dr. Govindappa Venkataswamy founder of the Aravind Eye Hospital. Novogratz continues to have a positive attitude through everything, and I think had I been in her situation that I may not have had the drive to push through everything and continue.
The demand for Acumen Funds, after a year + was not there as like the investment banker said, “philanthropy and business won’t work.” Although there was a major hole in the road for Novogratz, what impressed me the most was her willingness to completely change her business idea to make the organization work and continue. For example, “by the end of the first year, we had modified our approach. We determined that we would no longer make grants, but instead invest equity in or make loans to social enterprises..We were interested in enterprises run by social entrepreneurs who were unafraid to work in markets where individuals had minimal income, where the roads were terrible and infrastructure was sometimes nonexistent.” Due to the fact that the previous organizations model was not working, one might thing that it would be easier to decrease the size of the organization and focus in busy cities on businesses that have already been created. Acumen funds and the board: Novogratz, Dan Toole, David Buxbaum, and Margo Alexander actually took the organization to the next level by seeking out entrepreneurs who were passionate, intelligent, and ready to work in desolate situations. Acumen funds not only provide funds to these entrepreneurs, but actually work alongside them: “offering management advice and technical help and connections to a wider network of talent.” Of course everyone needs money to start off with, but what I find that makes Acumen funds so special is the attention and help that they provide to the entrepreneurs, showing that they really care about the success and well-beings of those they are assisting.
I was really intrigued by Novogratz’s idea of an in-between type of business investment and traditional charity which she deemed “Patient Capital.” Micro-funding is definitely a good first-step for businesses that need money, but this Patient Capital with providing means of buying supplies, but additionally providing services and teaching the entrepreneurs how to expand their ideas, is really what we need. The Dorothy Day Center on Fordham’s campus actually has two main focuses to their teaching which are: Service and Justice. Novogratz’s idea of patient capitalism reminded me of their teachings as her idea of providing funds and loans to the entrepreneurs fills in for the Service portion, but the Justice portion is through the teaching and assistance as showing them the skills to use the loans to truly succeed and make a difference. I am so glad to hear that an organization like Acumen funds exists and with everything we have learned thus far, I believe that this idea of patient capitalism may hits spot-on as the best way to assist the business minded entrepreneurs in less-developed countries. Throughout this article/chapter I was reminded of how lucky we as college students in America truly are, and it’s nice to know that there are people out there already making waves, hopefully we as a class and in the future can continue to make waves as well.
Sarah Besky’s article, “Colonial Pasts and Fair Trade Futures,” takes on a different approach to the implementation of Fair Trade and the outcomes from it. I found this article very interesting, as Besky takes a surprising route in the article, by arguing that Fair Trade is not always as beneficial as we believe it to be. This reading definitely opened my eyes and my mind that there are still two sides to what Fair Trade does and is. There are always two sides to a situation, and I think that it is important that our class is educated on the fact that Fair Trade does not always work out as smoothly as we would like it to.
Besky focuses on the Darjeeling tea trade in her article as an example of when Fair Trade is not always beneficial, and points out that while Darjeeling tea is some of the priciest tea in the world, in West Bengal, where the Darjeeling district is located, (fair trade) tea laborers are paid India’s lowest wages. In Darjeeling, the implementation of FLO standards seemingly benefits owners, not workers. Fair Trade standards do not reflect that plantations are hierarchical, which makes it impossible for resources to be managed jointly. Apparently, FLO implicitly assumes that through “democratically elected bodies,” fair trade revenue will be distributed where it is needed most. Besky points out that because plantations are hierarchical, revenue will not necessarily be distributed where it is supposed to go and tends to spread unevenly throughout the different levels.
Although Fair Trade does not appear to have the benefits within Darjeeling tea plantations that it was set up to provide, Besky points out a different positive that Fair Trade provides to these plantations and workers. “Fair trade certification was an effective and lucrative means of reaching U.S. and European markets without participation in the auction system. The benefits of this is that it can shorten the commodity chain and allow plantations to trade directly with international retailers, though it is hard to say if this is completely beneficial for the workers whom Fair Trade aims to empower. Plantations and Businesses especially in the Darjeeling area according to Besky see the benefits of becoming Fair Trade, not necessarily to provide workers with improved pay and conditions but to break into the international markets. I understand this point that Besky makes as Fair Trade products have become a mainstream way of providing social justice to other areas for our society. It is a way that people feel as if we can help benefit others, while still being provided with products we enjoy in return.
Besky’s article definitely opened my eyes to the side where Fair Trade is not as beneficial or is abused in ways that we can’t control. However, although Fair Trade may not be at the point that it should be, by providing workers with their deserved pay, for the most case, it continues to be the best trade option to ensure social justice and welfare for individuals. Besky leaves one point of how fair trade can improve in which she states: “one possible avenue for improvement is an expansion of FLO and other organizations’ understanding of local legal codes and labor histories, something that social scientists are uniquely positioned to provide.
“Blood Coltan” reminded me a lot of the documentary that we watched last week in class (The Dark Side of Chocolate), but in a different way. While “The Dark Side of Chocolate” focused almost completely on how the economic side of chocolate brought about the human trafficking and unethical working conditions, I felt as if “Blood Coltan” focused more on how the politics affect the people within the Coltan mines in the Congo. I could see how Patrick Forestrier was trying to expose the slavery and educate viewers of where the products used to make our modern technology, comes from. That being said, while I do not believe the documentary was all that it could be, I did find his approach interesting in how he focused partly on the issue of rape in the culture and the rebel army.
One part that stood out to me in the documentary, was when Forestrier interviewed Christine, the woman in charge of the rape clinic for the victims of the surrounding area. In America, rape is mainly thought to affect the female population and to only majorly be an issue to a certain population. What struck me in the documentary was when Christine said, “There are rituals of babies and old women, no one is spared, not even the boys.” Although this section isn’t focusing on the economic disparity and unethical conditions caused by the popularity of Coltan, rape has increased dramatically due to the mining work as the “men have needs, and they take women and girls to satisfy those needs.” It is tragic that the forces are able to take families to be mining slaves whether to work in the mines until they are exhausted and killed (the men) or to work as sex slaves for the rebel forces as is the case of the women. I do see Coltan as a player into this, but I have to say that I believe the situation should be looked at more politically. It is a complicated situation, but I believe that the situation should be looked at more militarily and politically than blaming the technology companies and consumers for purchasing these products.
That being said, I found Bandi Mbubi’s Ted Talk where he demands for a fair trade cell phone, very interesting. If we are invested in fair trade clothes, food, accessories, and other items, why not extend the policy towards cell phones and other technology. Mbubi’s point that the Congo “consistently scores dreadfully in global, health, and poverty rating but remarkably the UN global environmental program estimated the wealth of the country to be over 24 trillion dollars.” How is it, that such a wealthy and resource heavy county has dreadful ratings in everything else? I agree with Mbubi that it is time to start questioning and looking into where we get our technology. Clothing, food, diamonds, etc.. have been around for a long time, so the world has had time to check and understand how things are made and provided. Although technology like cellular devices have not been around for very long, they are making an impact in places like the Congo where the exporting of Coltan is providing for Laurent Nkunda’s rebel cause. The congolese will continue to stay strong and in the Congo region, until their source of money runs dry, which is now being provided by the Coltan in the mines which they control.
Companies will not change their approach to exporting of Coltan, until consumers raise their voices, as Coltan is at the lowest price in this area, and the highest profit they can make for themselves and their stockholders, the better. We can share what we learned from this documentary to family and friends and educated each other about the products we use and rely on daily. We can do many other things to try and change the way of life in Congo. But I also do not think that it all falls onto the consumers and the customers. It is important that the Congo government makes more of an effort to protect its people, with potential UN involvement. The way that the rebel forces are using the Congo people should be considered a war crime, and there should be more media coverage and world wide attention to what is happening in this area of the world. Yes, we should most definitely push for a fair-trade technological products and as consumers and companies, stop funding the rebel forces and unethical human treatment in the Congo. There is much more that goes into stopping this than simple consumer intervention, but anything makes a difference. It doesn’t hurt to try...
I found the article, “‘Game-Playing’: Rethinking Power and Empowerment” interesting and thought provoking. I had never intricately thought of the idea of power before. When I thought of power, I probably thought mainly of world leaders, dictators, CEO’s of fortune 500 companies... people who could probably get another person or group to do something against their will. I mainly thought of the “power over,” focused on businesses and individuals both good and bad, but in the area of Fair Trade... mainly individuals influencing ways of profit making leading to the human trafficking as seen in “Dark Side of Chocolate,” and the violence and death as seen in, “Blood Coltan.” The idea of “Power over” certainly is not empowering in the least when so many suffer due to it.
What I did find empowering, however, is the ideas of “Power with” and “Power to.” I involve myself in different “empowering” activities like community service, female empowerment organizations, and fair trade involvement, to name a few. I 100% agree with this article that you need to first be a part of a group of individuals, to start a movement and that is what will help change things that seem sturdy in our world. As humans, we like things to be set in place... until we are made unhappy, and individuals start movements that destroy the notions previously set in stone, and set new ones.
The way in which Anne Hutchens broke up our modern idea of defiance into two sections, resistance and game playing, is a completely new way of looking at it, to me. I found myself completely agreeing with her points and truly understanding where she is coming from. I saw her descriptions of resistance as groups like Unions, who form groups and take actions to resist the oppressive nature of whatever organization they are involved in. Yes, they will form new ideas and from time to time change things within the organizations: like better pay, better conditions... etc. Unions and resisters are necessary for the employees or whomever to have a voice, but I like Hutchens’s view of Game-Playing, even more. Game-players truly change the game. They offer a completely different point of view or creative innovation that shocks the organization, corporation, or world. I often read in the newspapers or online about the introduction of new game-players to whatever section, but never truly understood what was so incredible about what these people and organizations were doing. Game-players just refuse to play within the rules of the game... and in doing so, change the playing fields and the game completely. What I found even more interesting, was the part that tied game-playing and resistance together, to form the idea of “New Power.” This idea is that many different people must hook up and connect from different social circuits to form and expand new circuitries of power. Basically, the amount of power formed is directly proportional to the number of factors enrolled in the composition. The game-players first change the game, and then resistance members are the bodies and numbers to fully implement whatever change is needed.
I enjoyed how Hutchens tied the idea of power into Fair Trade. This article perhaps surprisingly, perhaps not surprisingly, empowered me to continue to learn more about Fair Trade and continue working on what I’m involved with in the class to help those that need it. I wonder if we can be the game changers. I find myself at the very basic position, doing what I can, but not necessarily changing the game. This article has pushed me into wondering what I can take from the next four years at Fordham, and apply to the world. Maybe I can be the Fair Trade game-changer... or maybe we can all be?
In “Harnessing Entrepreneurial Energy,” William Foote (the Founder and CEO of Root Capital) focuses on the beginnings of his non-profit organization “that grows rural prosperity in poor, environmentally vulnerable places in Africa and Latin America.”
One part that I thought was an important part in the article is the issue that caused Foote to begin his business in the first place. The challenge that sparked Root Capital are the businesses “stuck in the gap between micro-finance and traditional banking” or what Foote refers to as, “the missing middle.” These businesses, individuals, cooperatives/associations in “the missing middle” are too large for a beginning small scale loan but are also “too small, too risky, or too remote to attract commercial financial institutions.” The purpose of Root Capital is thus, to build a bridge and to cover the gap that exists between the loans to very small companies and the loans to larger and safer corporations. In simpler terms, provide to “the missing middle.”
The information provided on the workings of loans and “the missing middle” really interested me because I saw it as a clear example of how capitalism and the business realm fails. This middle area of individuals that are unable to receive loans to improve their businesses through technology and other methods contributes to a major percentage of the poverty rate, as Foote shares in his article that “approximately 75 percent of the 2.6 billion people living on less than $2 a day are practically excluded from the formal economy.” In other words, the 75% are the missing middle. My favorite part about Root Capital is not only their willingness to provide loans to the individuals others won’t, but also their “three-pronged strategy” of finance, advise, and catalyze. While the first step (finance) is to provide capital and the third (catalyze) is to develop a new industry to fill the missing middle, the second step (advise) stood out to me. The money is the very first step and is what businesses desperately need, but the education and advice to carry on a business and teaching business smarts so the cooperatives won’t be abused by larger corporations, is what I find very important and special about Root Capital. Foote found a glitch in society, and through Root Capital has found a way to improve on this. By filling in the gap and improving the quality of life for these individuals, Fair Trade will be able to grow as the more prosperous the cooperatives become, the more individuals they will be able to take in and include.
While the conditions are so exhausting and difficult for these cooperatives and associations who are struggling to receive loans and improve the effectiveness of their farms, when visitors go into these third world countries and meet the artisans, farmers, etc.. the individuals always seem so filled with hope and inspiration. A quote that stuck out to me in this article was, “What struck me is that in the midst of destruction, it was just amazing to see how excited everybody was. I think that’s the key. There’s this hope and this optimism around unleashing the power of enterprise, even in a devastating situation like that.” I picked business because it gives me a sense of empowerment, a way to make it on my own and become whoever I want to be and do whatever I would like to do. I think it is very true that an enterprise can inspire people with a set goal and mindset. Root Capital is able to allow individuals all over the world, especially in third world countries, to build their enterprise capabilities and attract companies to work with them, providing them hope for their families and themselves.
One last thing I would like to mention, is during Foote’s quick spiel about music creating a common bond and place of community. I found myself actually tearing up during the part when the kids were playing “Jingle Bells” and that the extra earnings the parents had earned from their coffee sales went to pay for a music teacher to “come from the nearest town, two hours away, to teach their children how to play in the brass ensemble.” I know this story is sweet, but it touched me in a way I can’t really explain. I think this is why I believe in Fair Trade, because it allows individuals to provide for their families, especially their children’s futures. It hurts to think that corporations are so greedy when they already have so much, for what.. to provide money to large stockholders so that they can purchase a larger home in the hamptons or a new cadillac? I think it’s easy to forget the little things and the people behind all of our materialistic products, but Foote’s description of the music scene threw it all back in my face and reminded me of the innocence and basic qualities of the world, and what is important.
John Bowes' "A Brilliant Idea" helped to simplify and expand on what exactly Fair Trade is, and more importantly: how Fair Trade is important and benefits our modern day world.
The statistics Bowes presents of how "1.4 billion people of the world's population are trying to survive at or below the World Bank's official poverty line of just $1.25 a day" and how "the poorest 40 per cent account for just 5% of global income whilst the richest 20% take three quarters of the pot." While these statistics are dramatic, they aren't exactly shocking after the extreme exposure about the gap between the rich and the poor through things like Occupy Wall Street, documentaries like Park Avenue: Money, Power, and the American Dream, etc... Although it was not incredibly shocking to me, it is most definitely not okay that so many people are suffering under unfair conditions and wages while others are so well off. I knew Fair Trade benefited the workers and made sure they were being treated correctly and paid fairly, but I wasn't exactly sure how that was all guaranteed until this article.
I was really interested to learn how the international fair trade standards that the "FAIRTRADE Mark" actually represents. Bowes helped explain to me how first there is a "minimum price set at a level which ensures that the producer is able to cover all costs necessary for sustainable production." This seems fairly simple to understand, but what was something I would not have thought of is how this minimum price is not a set price but actually, "if the market price for a product increases beyond the Fairtrade minimum then the producer will receive the higher of the two prices." This set-up is completely different than the classic corporate "for profit" idea that we are often exposed to. Like Suzy said in her post above, the relationship between the consumers, companies, and producers really interested me and I was really pleased by how fair trade promotes the "importance of partnership between trading partners." I really do think fair trade can and should be the future of our society and business, and although companies that become involve with fair trade, like Nestle's, may do so as an opportunist exploitation of the emerging popularity of fair trade, I agree that there is a positive side to things as although it may not be for the right reasons it is good to see that the consumers are pushing corporations to do the right and moral thing.
"A Brilliant Idea" confirmed my enthusiasm and belief in Fair Trade, and I hope that it does continue to expand in popularity until all major corporations create better contracts with their producers and employees.
Fair Trade: A Human Journey has probably been my favorite assignment thus far. While the documentaries were interesting and informative, I loved learning about the birth of Fair Trade and how it got to the place that it is now. I think this reading showed how Fair Trade in general is and can continue to be a great business model, and how it directly affects people in a positive way like Shilpi and Fatima, for example.
The story surrounding the creation of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) really interested me. Doug Dirk's quote about the foundation of the MCC, "at first we weren't directly aiming at women, but rather at the most destitute and vulnerable in Bangladeshi Society" stood out to me as I found it interesting that out of the entire society it is the woman that are suffering the most. With so many new implemented laws in place in America, it is a reminder that there is a lot of growth still needed to be done in other countries and areas in the world. It seemed to me that the MCC not only helps women earn their rightful wages for the work that they do, but also provides programs for the women and introduces them "as survivors." Not workers, victims, bangladeshi women... but survivors of their past, I found that to be very empowering and special.
Part of the reason I took the class, was that I had been exposed to Fair Trade mainly through the store: Ten Thousand Villages in Houston. My family and I go here to buy our Christmas presents for family and friends and also for every day items. I have a few friends that work and volunteer in the store so when I saw the Fair Trade class I already knew the basic level of Fair Trade, but was interested to know more. Learning about the origins of Ten Thousand Villages was personal to me. I had no idea how expansive the store was. I had no idea that it was an organization that spanned out of Texas, much less America...300+ stores as well. I would never have known so much, even though I have spent quite some time in the Ten Thousand Village store. I definitely will continue to shop there as a much more informed customer.
These assignments constantly remind me of how lucky we are in America, and how so little goes such a long way in these 3rd world countries. Reading about how at the Charity Foundation women are typically paid about 30-40 dollars per month was almost incomprehensible as that is about the amount that I, and many others, spend in one day, here in America. I thought the Action Bag company idea in which the women are given 2 takas per bag as salary and two takas in savings, and then once the women reach 5,000 takas in savings they are allowed to withdraw the sum and start their own business. This provides the women much more than just a way to survive as the time proceeds. It gives them an opportunity to grow and take off, further helping themselves and their family. I found this to be, probably, the most interesting piece of the article, as most organizations are seen as a way of providing aid immediately. Providing long-term aid can be even more helpful, and is a totally different but fantastic way of approaching the fair trade situation.
Hi. My name is Brigid Hilton, and I am a student in Kate Combellick's Entrepreneurship and Fair Trade class at Fordham University.
"The Dark Side of Chocolate" was, if nothing else, an extremely eye opening start to the "evils" our world faces, and why fair trade laws and regulations are important to the quality of life. I think most of humanity has some knowledge that things are not fair and as they should be. We hear of child labor, human trafficking, modern day slavery, but it is the visual evidence of the children being taken from their homes by traffickers and sold for an average of 230 euros in "The Dark Side of Chocolate", that truly hit hard.
A point in the video that stood out to me, was during Miki Mistrati's interview with Ali Lakiss, the CEO and owner of SAF-Cacao. As clips played throughout his interview with footage of young children working on the plantations, it was amazing and fairly disturbing that Lakiss has chosen to turn such a blind eye to the problem that faces the cocoa production along the ivory coast. Lakiss confidently stated, "The Ivory Coast is a country with no child slaves in the plantations" as well as "No children work in the plantations, that has been confirmed." For an individual with extreme power in the cocoa production, it is impossible to believe that he truly is oblivious to the trafficked child laborers in the plantations. It is disturbing that there are very little preventative measures in place to stop traffickers from picking up children in small villages by offering them a job and money in the Ivory Coast, forcing them onto buses and from there onto dirt bikes, driven along a back road that leads to the plantations. It confounds me, as to why the back road is so easily accessible to human traffickers, and other traffickers, I'm sure.
While the major chocolate companies signed the Harkin-Engel Protocal in 2001 (aimed to end worse forms of child labor), "The Dark Side of Chocolate" was released in 2010. An important step of preventing child trafficking in the area, and along the Ivory Coast would be to close the back road, used by traffickers to export children, or set up a crossing station with government officials. This has yet to be put into action.
A second part of the film that nauseated and infuriated me at the same time, was Mistrati's interview with the child trafficker. His description of the process of child trafficking was deplorable, but it was really his demeanor and response to the questions that infuriated me. He laughed and joked at the expense of the children and their pain. The audience can see that the trafficker had no remorse for his actions, and I got the impression that trafficking is simply a part of life in Mali and around the areas. It seemed as though he even took pleasure in it, and that is something I do not think I will ever be able to wrap my head around.
The question is: how do we put a end to child labor and trafficking, first in the chocolate business, and then in general. In America, we have been lucky to have grown up without that ever being a fear. In 3rd world countries where people desperately need money, people are willing to do almost anything and everything to be paid. While the countries themselves need to place more preventative measures, and focus more intently on the problem, Chocolate companies also need to stop turning a blind eye and choosing the path of ignorance, and learn more about the origin of their product, where it is coming from, and more importantly who is working the cocoa plantations and are their human rights being respected.
Do sales need to decrease in order for the chocolate companies like Nestle to finally pay attention to their social responsibility and care? I know that I would not want to be in constant fear of my children's safety for the potential of their being sold to cocoa plantations... and I firmly believe the men and women in charge of the major chocolate companies would not want that as well.
This documentary really did bring me to the revelation as to why Fair Trade is so important in the modern age with so many large corporations focusing on profits rather than social justice and responsibility. Profit is more definitely a very important part of business, without it a business won't survive; however, how good does it really feel to make a large profit off of others sufferings? I don't think it feels that good.
Mon Nov 18, 2013 8:13 am
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