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Theo Chocolate Company 01:05 03:51   volume_up closed_captiondescriptionfullscreen Feedback

Seattle's Theo Chocolate is more than a chocolate company—it's a philanthropic venture. Founder Joe Whinney believes that every member of the company's supply chain—especially cocoa farmers—should have a higher quality of life as a result of partnering with his business. Whinney pays up to three times more than the going rate to buy cacao from poor farmers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to Theo's visionary leader, Americans will pay more for chocolate bars when they know that impoverished farmers benefit from the sale. The decision to work with farmers in Congo stems from Whinney's interactions with The Eastern Congo Initiative, a community partnership founded by actor Ben Affleck to provide aid to the impoverished nation. In 2009, Affleck led a group of philanthropists to the jungles of Congo to visit the nation's farmers and to see the cacao trees. Today, Whinney and Affleck train Congo farmers to develop their local communities while supplying Theo Chocolate with its core ingredient—hundreds of tons of delicious cacao.

Answer the multiple choice questions that follow the video content.

Theo founder Joe Whinney believes that that a business should benefit every partner throughout the organization's entire supply chain. This focus on the well-being of others is characteristic of all the following except:

a. Virtue ethics b. Utilitarianism c. Egoism d. Justice Feedback Theo Chocolate's policy of paying impoverished cocoa farmers in Congo three times the going rate exemplifies: a. Hedonism b. Relativism c. Realism d. Distributive justice Feedback Theo founder Joe Whinney believes that paying higher prices to poor farmers in Congo will help his company meet its economic objectives. This is only possible if: a. The farmers grow cacao beans b. Theo pays lower prices to U.S. supply chain partners c. Consumers are willing to pay higher prices for chocolate bars d. None of these options Feedback A person that embraces the following moral philosophy would be likely to pay more for a chocolate bar if doing so would benefit a greater number of people: a. Relativism b. Hedonism c. Egoism d. Utilitarianism Feedback In this clip, actor Ben Affleck explains that the people of Congo are suffering human rights violations. Since Affleck is focused on human rights, his charitable actions are rooted in: a. Deontology b. Relativism c. Teleology Feedback Based on his concern for the humanitarian needs of the people of Congo, actor Ben Affleck exhibits the following level of cognitive moral development: a. Stage 1: Stage of punishment and obedience b. Stage 2: Stage of individual instrumental purpose and exchange c. Stage 3: Stage of mutual interpersonal expectations, relationships, and conformity d. Stage 6: Stage of universal ethical principles Feedback Theo Chocolate partners with cacao farms in Congo to procure a dependable supply of cacao at a fixed price. This business decision is based in: a. Egoism b. Economic value orientation c. Hedonism d. Virtue ethics Feedback Which statement from the clip indicates that Theo Chocolate's business decisions are rooted in virtue ethics? a. "Congo is a place that really needs this kind of business" b. "We're trying to make sure there is a connection between the farmer and the consumer" c. "Theo is raising money for charity with its $5 Congo bar" d. All of these statements are rooted in virtue ethics Feedback Joe Whinney's personal moral philosophy is likely to keep him from engaging in: a. Global business b. White-collar crime c. Ethical decision making Feedback Continue Replay Skip Submit Answer Submit For Grading « previous video next video » « Video Transcript: [Music] >> It's rich, it's velvety, it's almost sinful. But creating the perfect bar at this Seattle chocolate factory is about more than just the ingredients on the wrapper. >> I feel that everybody in the whole supply chain, all the way back to the farmers, should be better off as a result of this delicious food that we use to share with the people we love. >> So these are these are the beans. >> These are the beans; this is cacao. >> At Theo Chocolate, owner Joe Whinney pays farmers two to three times more than the going rate to buy this cacao from the Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC. >> Where does cocoa come from? It's coming from farmers in Africa, and in Indonesia, and in Central and South America. >> Whinney believes that Americans will be willing to pay more for chocolate if they know that, in turn, impoverished farmers will earn more. >> Of all places, why Congo? >> Why Congo? Well, it was really Ben Affleck's fault. >> Yes. That Ben Affleck. >> Like this? >> Like -- yeah. See that's really well fermented, this isn't. >> Earlier this year, we joined Ben Affleck and Joe Whinney on a trip to the DRC. Cacao can only grow within a narrow climate zone close to the equator. In 2009, Affleck started a charity called Eastern Congo Initiative to spur economic development in this war-torn region. Five million people have died here due to decades of conflict. >> As I was reading and I just sort of stumbled upon some of the statistics, and I was struck not only by the numbers, but by the fact that, you know, I hadn't heard about it. >> So Affleck decided to use his celebrity as a sort of currency to attract investment. He led a small group of philanthropists, protected by armed guards, through jungles where cacao trees thrived and farmers struggled. >> The cocoa industry here has potential if the value can be increased. >> For the last two years, Affleck's Eastern Congo Initiative has worked with Whinney and local groups to train farmers to improve the crop. Cacao grows in these greenish-yellow pods that are cracked open to harvest. It's quite slimy, huh? >> It is. But when you suck on it, it's absolutely delicious. >> It doesn't taste like chocolate at all. >> Not at all, does it. >> It tastes like passion fruit or something. >> Theo Chocolate has now committed to buy 340 tons of cacao from the DRC -- >> This is really good quality. >> -- creating a dependable export market. >> We have brought these people together. They're selling to a chocolate company in the United States. Those markets had been completely closed off to them in the past. And it's not just aid, it's investment. >> We have security guards around us. There have been attacks recently. This is a tough place to do business. >> It is, but that's also a place that really needs this kind of business. >> Business in Seattle is a little sweeter these days. Theo is raising money for charity with its $5 Congo bar, which may make indulging in this piece of chocolate -- >> It's delicious, really. >> -- just a little less sinful. >> You've never tasted chocolate? >> We're trying to make sure that there's a connection between the farmer and the consumer, because when they care about each other, that's when real change starts to happen. >> What do you think? >> It's okay. >> It's okay? Just okay? [ Laughter ]