Milk Scandal: Corporate Corruption or Something Else?

This post is a commentary on the milk scandal in China, where melamine (an industrial chemical) was discovered in many dairy products both for internal consumption and export.

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The past 10 years have seen us witness some pretty large scandals  – among them, the likes of Enron and WorldCom – but when there are real and dangerous threats to our food supply, somehow it hits closer to home.

Globalization has meant that products from one side of the world are shipped to the other, so when a crisis of this nature unfolds it is best that everyone take caution.

But what is the cause of this latest food scandal?  Are people right to attribute it to corporate greed and corruption?

I would argue that it is not.  Corruption would seem to indicate that an issue can be resolved with better oversight and enforcement.  What people need to understand is that China is very different from Europe or North America, and the problems it faces requires a different sort of approach.

China has a history of poverty and conflict which has resulted in a culture of mistrust and an emphasis on survival at all costs.  Cooperation and a sense of community are sorely lacking especially with the migration of people from the country-side into urban areas and manufacturing hubs.

What has arisen is a case of people acting in their own self-interest, with little thought on how this might affect their fellow man.  To solve this, China must address its social issues and start re-establishing a sense of camaraderie.