You as a designer and business operator have been working with a well paying client on an exciting and innovative digital product for over a year now. Your business team has designed and tested almost 60 prototypes as well as running a number of market surveys. You've paid for and submitted an application for a patent on this innovation which is pending. The only factor that is still being explored is obtaining and managing resources to mass produce the final design.
This digital product uses a highly electrically conductive material called Coltan or Tantalum in its electronic parts. This material is used widely by similar products already on the market and ensures durable and fast electronic circuits. To deliver a competitive product Coltan is the best choice of material otherwise the size, reliability and cost of your product would not be competitive.
Your researcher and client have knowledge and connections of a bulk deal you can get on the material from The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to your manufacturers in China.
You have heard Coltan causes many politicical issues in the DRC such as inequity in the distribution of money from the mining and the use of violence and death as a form of control over the populations around the mines. Another issue is the exposure to this mildly radioactive material is suggested as causing birth deformities leaving children unable to walk.
It is proposed that the designer should use the DRC mines