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Hershey's Continued Use of Unethical Practices: Forced Child Labor

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Hershey's Continued Use of Unethical Practices: Forced Child Labor
| Forced Child Labor | Hershey’s Continued Use of Unethical Practices | | Jared Bevier | 2/16/2012 | Business Ethics Rasmussen College Winter Quarter

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“Worldwide, 126 million children work in hazardous conditions, often enduring beatings, humiliation, and sexual violence by their employers.” (“Child Labor Facts”, 2011) Hershey’s Cocoa has been targeted by U.S. protestors, Global Exchange, Green America, The International Labor Rights Forum, and Oasis USA for failing to eliminate exploitative child labor from its cocoa production supply chain. The illegal use of child labor in chocolate production must stop. Chocolate produced by children is not only unethical it is a crime. These children do not receive the basic right to an education; instead they have a tortured life of abuse and daily beatings all so people can have a candy bar. Hershey’s Coca continues to purchase its cocoa from supply chains in West Africa despite the fact that these suppliers are accused of child labor, trafficking, and forced labor. The ethical issues here are the effects the forced labor has on children’s health, the conditions in which these children are forced to work, as well as how many hours of work are forced upon the children. I will discuss how the treatment of these children is unethical and unsafe, and also that Hershey’s needs to take certain steps to clean up its supply chain in an effort to stop the unethical treatment of children. Child labor has detrimental effects on children 's health. “Child labor is significantly and positively related to adolescent mortality, to a population’s nutrition level, and to the presence of infectious disease.” (Roggero, Mangiaterra, Bustreo, Rosati, 2007) Working conditions that are safe and healthy for adults may not be safe and healthy for children because of physical differences. Risks may be greater for children at various stages of development and may have long term


References: Boaz, P. (2010,Sep 17). U.S.: Rights groups call hershey slow to bar child labor. Global Information Network, pp.n/a. Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.rasmussen.edu/docview/751288474?accountid=40836 Child labor facts. (2011). In Compassion. Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://www.compassion.com/child-advocacy/find-your-voice/quick-facts/child-labor-quick-facts.htm Health Issues (2004). In Child Labor Public Education Project. Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/about/health_issues.html Kamm, L. (1995, January 27). Child labor feeds global market profits. National Catholic Reporter, 31(13), 10. Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://ezproxy.rasmussen.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=9502150391&site=pov-live Qureshi, S. Blood chocolate: A just desert. Humanist, 68(5), 11-13. Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://ezproxy.rasmussen.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=34312839&site=pov-live Roggero, . P., Mangiaterra, . V., Rosati, . F., & Bustreo, . F. (2007,). The health impact of child labor in developing countries: Evidence from cross-country data. American Journal of Public Health, 97(2). Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.rasmussen.edu/docview/215080158?accountid=40836 Ten years, little progress: as profits soar, chocolate industry fails to deliver on promise to end forced and child labor on cocoa farms. (2011, September 19). Business and Economics. Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.rasmussen.edu/docview/891849413?accountid=40836
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