Children fill up empty cigarettes manually with locally grown tobacco. forced to work for free
If asked, I guarantee the majority of people living in today’s modern westernized societies would respond to the question; “do you think slavery helped put that fish on your dinner table?” with a resounding no. Sadly however, it’s possible that even today the fish you’re having for dinner or the gravel you put on your driveway, may have come from darker origins.
A while ago in a post about business ethics I mentioned a concept coined by Milton Friedman that states companies should only be held responsible for maximizing their profits. After reading the article “Slavery is a business reality, and it’s up to companies to stop it”, I now believe that if forgoing the respect of basic human rights is what this “ethicality is maximizing profits” attitude produces, such an approach to business ethics is utterly deplorable.
I firmly believe it necessary and possible for all businesses to maximize their profits while simultaneously following a strong code of ethics and morals. If all businesses adopt an ethical approach which at a minimum respects basic human rights, slavery, as it should be, can be removed from all businesses supply chains’. We as a global community can then continue developing a RESPECTABLE and ETHICAL global business arena.