Use of Calcium Carbide in

Fruits
And
Issue of Ethics Regarding
Bangladeshi Fruit Seller

Part-1
1.Introduction:
1.1.

Definition to the problem:

Fruits have a respectable position in the food habit of Bangladeshi people. But this fruits can
be a reason of health hazard if ripen by hazardous chemicals. We are going to mention about
the use of one such hazardous chemical- Calcium Carbide. Use of calcium carbide in fruit
ripening has been emerged very recently as an issue in Bangladesh. However, this topic has
already captured decent amount of public attention. Fruit sellers use this toxic chemical
because of its low cost and ignorance about the intensity of its hazardous effects. Usually
mangoes and bananas are ripen using calcium carbide. Considering ethical concerns, this
issue of using calcium carbide in fruit ripening is that consumption of these fruits may not
have any short-term effect on the consumers but this chemical will act like a slow poison and
will have hazardous effects on consumers in the long-term.

1.2.

Objectives and Scope of the research:

Here the main debate is whether we let the practice of using calcium carbide for
ripening fruits to continue and let people die through slow poisoning or if not then
what we can do to stop this practice and what could be the alternative for this

chemical. In addition, we want to find out through this research whether the ethical
issues raised by use of carbide in fruit ripening have significant importance or it can
be ignored. And if the ethical issues is valid and have significant importance then
what can be done to solve this ethical problem.

1.3.

Methodology of the Research:

Like every ethical issue, using calcium carbide for fruit ripening has argument on
both sides. So, we need to study this issue from moral standpoint and decide whether
this issue is morally right or wrong.
This research will cover some major arguments against using calcium carbide for fruit
ripening. Arguments will be discussed from two perspectives: one side will support
using calcium carbide for fruit ripening and the other will combat this practice on the
ground of its hazardous effects on consumers.
Moreover, we will bring in the ethical framework of different theories in this
research, including Consequentialist and Non-Consequentialist theory as well as
Traditional and Modern ethical theories. In order to analyze the situation and answer
the ethical dilemma, we will use the following theories:
Egoism theory
This theory consider an action as morally right if the decision maker freely

decides to pursue their short term desire or long term interests.

Utilitarianism theory
This theory measures morality on the basis of maximizing pleasure or
minimizing pain. Under this theory an action is morally right if it results in
highest number of pleasure for majority of the people or lowest number of
pain for the majority of the people.

Caveat Emptor
Caveat emptor or "Let the buyer beware" is a principle in commerce
where the buyer is responsible of all the risk. This phenomenon believes it
is the consumers duty to know before buying and whether the
organizations are committing any unfair practice or not.

Virtue Ethics
This theory states that decision making depends on the character of the
decision maker. Good actions come from good persons meaning that
morally correct actions are those undertaken by actors with virtuous
characters. So, concern here is to build the virtuous character.

Ethics of Duties: Categorical Imperative

According to German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), an action
is morally right if it can pass through the three maxims (Categorical
Imperative):

Whether a certain action can be performed by everybody;

Whether human dignity has been ignored,

Whether the principles of certain action are acceptable to every

human being.

Ethical Consumerism
Ethical consumerism is the intentional purchase of products and services
that the customer considers to be made ethically. This may mean with
minimal harm to or exploitation of humans, animals and/or the natural
environment.

Triple Bottom Line

The triple bottom line captures an expanded spectrum of values and
criteria for measuring organizational (and societal) success: economic,
ecological and social.

Consumer Sovereignty Test (CST):

It is a testof the extent to which consumers are capable, informed and free to
choose when confronted with a potential purchase decision. Craig Smiths
suggested CST test comprises the following:
Consumer capability: the degree of freedom from limitations in rational
decision making enjoyed by the consumer, e.g. from vulnerability (age,
education, health)
Information: the availability and quality of relevant data pertaining to a
purchase decision
Choice: the extent of the opportunity available to freely switch to another
supplier (no. of competitors and switching costs).

We will analyze the arguments for and against animal testing and also the
availability of other alternatives from a moral perspective by applying different
traditional and contemporary theories.

Part 2
2. Use

of

Carbide

Calcium
in

Fruit

Ripening
2.1.

What is Calcium Carbide?

2.2.
2.3.

Part 3:
3. Attitude
Animal Testing

towards

3.1.
Sellers Right vs. Consumer Rights:
In old days consumers rights were based on notion called caveat emptor. Under
caveat emptor, consumer was responsibility for any harm or dissatisfaction with the
product/service; it was regarded as customers own fault.
However, old day are gone, now consumer rights are protected both legally and
socially. Now, consumer dignity is reserved in consumer right and now a days
consumers have right to have secure products and true product information from the
producers. On the other, it is now the producers duty to ensure they supply no faulty
and unsafe products to their customers.
Therefore, use of hazardous chemical like carbide for ripening fruits is completely
illegal and violation of consumer rights of having safe product. Though fruit sellers
argue that immediate effect of carbide is very minimal in the short run but that does
not justify for using it since there is clear evidence that consuming carbide for a long
time can have a hazardous effect on human health. Accepting fruit sellers argument
for using calcium carbide will be like granting slow poisoning intended to kill people.
Moreover, ripening though calcium carbide also violates the consumer right of having
true product information since producers conceal about this fact to consumers.
However, notion of caveat emptor cannot be applied in case of carbide use since
customers cannot explicitly judge of the presence of carbide in fruits.
3.2.Health alerts from food nutritionists:
Internationally, calcium carbide is been announced as a hazardous chemical substance
and in many countries of the world it has been banned to use calcium carbide in fruit
ripening process. Fruit nutritionists have mentions have found several potential health
problems that can be occurred by consuming fruits ripen by calcium carbide. The
health problems include:
Headache.
Memory loss.
Breathing problem.
Stomach upset.
Skin irritation
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Miscarriage to women
Peptic ulcer etc.

In addition, experts states that those who are involved in the ripening process using
calcium carbide can face health problems like skin irritation, breathing problems etc.
3.3.
Government restriction on calcium carbide and use of
alternative chemical
Use of calcium carbide is been made illegal by the government and there
are certain laws in Bangladeshi to prevent fruit sellers to use this toxic
chemicals in fruit ripening process and punish them if anyone found to
involved in such practice. But the problem is there no effective
enforcement of these laws. Though sometimes mobile courts investigate
at few places and punish the accused fruit sellers but that is simply not
enough to stop the fruit sellers all over the Bangladesh to stop from using
calcium carbide. Actually it is the corruption among the officials of the law
and order system has been the main obstacle of the enforcement of laws.
Moreover, the government effort to inform both fruit sellers and
consumers about the hazardous effects of calcium carbide and encourage
use of alternative chemical like acetylene for ripening fruit is very
minimal.

The critics of this issue are continuously making argument for the
enforcement of law to stop this practice of carbide use. However,
countries like India, China, Nepal, Malaysia, USA and EU countries have
made use of calcium carbide totally forbidden by law and fruit sellers have
to ensure that their fruit are safe and not contaminated by any toxic
chemicals.

3.4.

Morality among Bangladeshi fruit sellers

In Bangladesh, most of the fruit sellers are illiterate and their moral standard can best
be described by pre-conventional stage of Kohlbergs cognitive development (CMD)
theory. So, the morality of Bangladeshi fruit sellers usually circles around
achievement of personal interest. They always thrive for more cost effective way even
the cost of human life to widen their profit margin. They even avoid government
regulation by lobbying, giving bribes etc. They never think about what will be the
effect of their practices on consumers and on the society, the only thing they care
about is their own profit.

3.5.
Recommended moral stands for fruit sellers
The argument of consumer right in case of fruit ripening process can be only
achieved through by ensuring certain moral standards that fruit sellers of
Bangladesh should abide by. These standards are given as follows:

 Fruit sellers should treat each customer equally in a fair way.

Fruit sellers will ensure that their fruit are not ripen by any toxic chemicals
like calcium carbide. Or put it in other way, their fruit are safe and will not
cause any potential harm to the customer.
Fruit sellers will give truthful information to their customers about the
ripening process of their fruits.
Fruit sellers will make sure their customers have fair pricing of their fruits.

Part 4:
4. Literature
Review/Relevant Data
Interpretation
Part 5:
5. Reasons
for
Objections to Animal
Testing
Part 6:

6. Application of Some
Major
Concepts
of
Business Ethics
6.1. Theories and Concepts
For better understanding of the arguments we will analyze the ethical issues raised by
the use of calcium carbide in ripening fruits and ethical issue of fruit sellers in
Bangladesh on the basis of ethical theories like Egoism, Utilitarianism, Virtue Ethics,
Ethics of Duties: Categorical Imperative and concepts like, Caveat Emptor, Triple
Bottom Line, Ethical Consumerism, Consumer sovereignty, Corporate Social
Responsibility in the following section. Finally, we will close with our suggestions to
solve this issue and our conclusions drawn from the analysis.

6.2. Analysis of the issue from the Perspective of Different Ethical Theories
Egoism:
Egoism measures morality of an issue on the basis of decision makers indolence
of pursuing his/her personal interest. According to Crane & Matten, An action is
morally right if the decision maker freely decides in order to pursue either their
(short-term) desires or their (long-term) interests.
There are two courses of action regarding this issue:

Action 1: Use CaC2 in fruit ripening

Action 2: Do not use CaC2 in fruit ripening

In our hypothetical case, we look at the actors involved and try to identify
whether they freely pursue their own interests or not.

In the next page, we have drawn a table which sums up the self-interests of all the
actors involved here. If we apply egoism theory and implement Action 2 (Do not
use CaC2 in fruit ripening) then all the actors involved except the fruit sellers can
pursue their self-interests. But if we go for Action 1 (Use CaC 2 in fruit ripening)
then only the self-interests of the fruit sellers will be pursued.
So, from an egoistic point of view, we would claim Action 2 (Do not use CaC 2 in
fruit ripening) to be considered as morally right.

Action 1: Use CaC2 in fruit ripening

Action 2: Do not use CaC2 in fruit ripening

Actors

Self-Interests

Actors

Fruit
Seller

Low cost

Fruit
Seller

Self-Interests

Profit gain

Consumers

Can have cheaper fruits.

Consumer
s

Consumers will have safe fruits.

Get relief from threat of health
problems.

Society

Society

Consumer rights will be ensured.

Fruit sellers will abide by their
duties to customers.
Society will get relief from the
health hazard of CaC2.

Table 1: Egoism

Utilitarianism:
Theory of Utilitarianism states An action is morally right if it results in the greatest
amount of good for the greatest amount of people affected by the action. (Crane & Matten,
2007)

This theory measures morality on the basis of maximizing pleasure or minimizing

pain. If the decision brings greatest happiness or maximizing pleasure and minimizing
pain principle, to all the parties effected by the decision will be considered as a morally
right decision.
To apply this theory of Utilitarianism, first we have to identify all the actors involved and
analyze their potential interest in terms of the pleasure and pain involved regarding
different course of actions. According to the following table there are 3 actors involved:
Fruit sellers, Society and Consumers. There are two courses of actions:

Action 1: Use CaC2 in fruit ripening

Action 2: Do not use CaC2 in fruit ripening

In the following table we have listed all the pleasure and pain of all the actors involve
based on two different course of action.

Action 1: Use CaC2 in fruit ripening

Actors

Pleasures

Fruit
Seller

Low cost.
Profit gain.

Pains

Action 2: Do not use CaC2 in fruit ripening

Actors

Fruit
Seller

Pleasures

Pains

High cost.
Low profit.

Consumers

Low
fruit.

priced

Society

Short
and
long
term
health
problems.

Consumer
s

Will
have
access to safe
fruits.

Violation of
consumer
rights.

Society

Consumer
right ensured.

Violation of
government
restrictions.
Health hazard
of citizen.

High
fruit.

priced

Government
restrictions
obeyed.
Threat
of
health hazard
removed.

Table 2: Utilitarianism

After analyzing all the pleasures and pains for the actors involved in this ethical dilemma,
we can now go for the preferred action based on the findings of the table. In our
hypothetical case of using carbide in fruit ripening we found that Action 2 (Do not use
CaC2 in fruit ripening) brings most pleasure for all parties involved, whereas in Action 1
(Use CaC2 in fruit ripening) the pain seems to dominate the analysis. Therefore according
to utilitarian theory we will claim action Action 2 (Do not use CaC2 in fruit ripening) as a
morally right decision.
Caveat Emptor:
Triple bottom line:
Ethical consumerism:
Virtue Ethics:

According to Virtue Ethics, Good decisions come from good persons meaning that
morally correct actions are those undertaken by actors with virtuous characters.
Therefore, the formation of a virtuous character is the first step towards morally correct
behaviour (Crane & Matten, 2007). We can call honesty, courage, friendship, mercy, loyalty,
modesty, patience etc. are traits of virtue characteristic.
Now implementing virtue ethics in case of morality among Bangladeshi fruit sellers we
can think of two imaginary situations:
Situation 1: In this situation, fruit sellers are acting in good faith ensuring the rights of
consumers to access to safe fruits. Here fruit sellers feel close relation or emotional tie
with the consumer community and try to do business by keeping the consumers well
being.
Situation 2: In this situation, fruit sellers are feel no emotional tie with the consumers are
dont care about their safety or well being. The only thing fruit sellers care about here is
their profit and to gain this object they can even cost the lives of their consumers. We can
say in other way that they dont give any value to their customers.
After deriving both positive and negative situation we add that in situation 1 the character
of the fruit sellers had virtue characteristics and in situation 2 they have the exact
opposite. Now, which situation will occur in realty can be dependent on the moral values
of the fruit sellers that have been developed by his external environment surroundings
and experience. But, if we consider the case of Bangladeshi fruit sellers then we may
conclude that they will act like situation 2, since most of them are illiterate and poor so
they will usually be driven by their own self-interest.

Ethics of Duties: Categorical Imperative

According to German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), morality and the
decision about right and wrong is a question of certain eternal, abstract and unchangeable
principles (maxims) that humans should apply to all ethical problems. Kant believes that,
humans have the ability to make their own rational decisions regarding right and wrong.

Kant proposed a theoretical framework consisting of three principles, called the

Categorical Imperative, which should be applied to test every moral problems and a
solution is to be regarded as morally right if it passes all the three tests. (Crane & Matten,
2007)

Now we will apply the test of categorical imperative on two course of action:

Action 1: Use CaC2 in fruit ripening

Action 2: Do not use CaC2 in fruit ripening

TEST

Action 1: Use CaC2 in fruit ripening

Action 2: Do not use CaC2 in fruit ripening

TEST 1: whether a
certain action could be
performed by everyone.

This action certainly should not be made

as a universal law. This could result in
serious health hazard on human being all
over the world.

This action should be made as a universal law

to protect people from serious health hazard.

TEST 2: whether human

dignity has been ignored.

Human dignity totally ignored here since

it violate the right of access to safe food.

Human dignity it ensured here since this action

gives people access to safe food.

TEST 3: whether the

principles of certain
action is acceptable to
every human being.

The action harms people and violates

human right cannot consider acceptable
to every human being.

The action ensure health safety of people and

ensure human dignity so can be acceptable to
every human being.

Table 3 : Categorical Imperative

Since Action 1 could not pass any of the tests of categorical imperative so it can be taken
as an ethical action in any way. On the other hand Action 2 passed all the tests of

categorical imperative so it can be taken as an ethical action on terms of theory of ethical

duties.

Part 7:
7. Recommendations
and Conclusions
Bibliography