A More Ethical Easter Basket

I found an article in the LA Times titled "Before you eat that chocolate Easter egg, think about the people who produced it."

You can check it out here.

This article encourages us to eat more chocolate this Easter and into the future. Who can argue with that?! As we indulge, however, the writer asks us to consider the source of our Easter basket treats.

Sethi states that even though the chocolate industry brings in $100 billion annually, many hard-working cacao farmers earn less than $1 a day. One reason cacao farmers are barely scraping by is because of an oversupply in the current market. He says this exists because of inaccurate estimates of India and China's growing demand. In addition to this, lack of a global agreement guaranteeing a minimum price for the commodity have put farmers and their families at risk of needing to find other work. If farmers transition out of the cacao industry, it puts the diversity and long-term supply of cacao in a vulnerable place.  

For a solution, he urges us to be responsible in our consumption; to buy craft and fair-trade chocolate with a high cocoa content to support the farmers that dedicate their lives to supplying the planet with it's chocolate fix.

In regards to the Ethos of this article, I lean towards seeing it's credibility. The writer of this article speaks with authority on the origins of chocolate, it's early use, and it's current location of production. He cites a study done by a big chocolate company and I see he has a chocolate podcast. He is also the author of a book in which chocolate is one of the main topics. 

I see an emotional tug, or Pathos, in this article in only a couple places.  He only briefly mentions the farmers low wages and the impact this has on their lives. I feel he could have brought more information about this forward to inspire a greater emotional response. He also lightly threatens that the future of chocolate may be more expensive. In addition to this, he orders the reader to "put your money where your mouth is," pushing his audience to step up in their chocolate choices. All of these things gently hook the reader into feeling the importance of his argument. 

The Logos of the argument is clear and consistent, Sethi tells a story about the recent drop in cocoa prices and expands upon it to guide the reader into seeing his perspective around how to proceed with more consideration. After reading the article, the reader is more informed about the chocolate industry and how to support it's sustainability. 

In all, I think that Sethi does a good job making his point in this short opinion piece about the current chocolate market. His voice is trustable, his facts are well presented, his solutions are well laid out. My opinion may be strengthened because I have a background in making chocolate. I have visited a number of chocolate farms and I know the challenges the market faces.