MAJOR TOMATO GROWER TO IMPLEMENT CIW FAIR FOOD ACCORDS!
At Last, Farmworkers to Receive Penny-Per-Pound Wage Increase!
September 2009 -- East Coast Growers and Packers -- one of Florida's largest tomato growers – has agreed to work with the CIW and food industry leaders to implement the CIW’s Fair Food agreements, including the penny-per-pound raise to harvesters, supply chain transparency, and a stringent code of conduct.
The CIW’s agreements with the world's four largest restaurant companies (Yum, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Subway) and the leading organic grocer (Whole Foods) had been held up for nearly two years due to the threat of severe fines by the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange (FTGE), the powerful industry lobby. East Cast became the first major grower to break ranks with the FTGE, dropping out of the lobby group to avoid fines.
"We are extremely pleased that East Coast has shown the courage and the vision to seize on this tremendous opportunity and by so doing help lead the Florida tomato industry toward a fairer, more sustainable future. We will be working closely with East Coast and our food industry partners in the coming weeks to ensure that we have an effective mechanism in place for passing the penny-per-pound to the workers and a solid plan for monitoring compliance with the code of conduct. There is still much work to be done but, at long last, we are working together, and when we work together -- farmworkers, growers, retailers, and consumers -- we can forge a relationship that will benefit all of us."
said Gerardo Reyes of the CIW.
East Coast joins organic growers Alderman and Lady Moon, who committed to work with Whole Foods and the CIW this summer to pass the penny-per-pound, enforce the code of conduct and develop a monitoring system which includes farmworker participation. Tomato pickers that work for any of these three growers will begin to receive the penny-per-pound wage increase when the Florida tomato harvest begins in a few weeks. Farmworkers in many parts of the state -- from Plant City to Boynton Beach, from Quincy to Punta Gorda -- will benefit.
The agreement with East Coast marks a turning point in the Campaign for Fair Food. With a major grower now willing to implement improved wages and working conditions for farmworkers, what will Publix do? Embrace the opportunity to work with the CIW and participating growers? Or will Publix continue to support tomato growers who stand against progress? You can help encourage Publix to do the right thing. See inside for what you can do!
Two of Florida's largest organic growers agree to pass the penny-per-pound increase onto farmworkers!
June 4, 2009-- Whole Foods Market confirmed today that Alderman Farms and Lady Moon Farms have reached agreements with Whole Foods to support the CIW's penny-per-pound program and meet strict labor standards. This step forward by Alderman Farms and Lady Moon Farms effectively breaks the stalemate established nearly two seasons ago when the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange (FTGE) threatened to fine any of its members that sold tomatoes under the terms of the CIW agreements.
As the CIW explained, "The Campaign for Fair Food is bearing fruit. For nearly two seasons, the Campaign’s promise of fair wages for Florida's farmworkers has been held hostage by the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange. Today, however, the higher wages and fairer conditions we have fought for will begin to reach the workers who so clearly deserve them, thanks to the leadership of Whole Foods Market and the forward thinking growers at Alderman Farms and Lady Moon Farms. Without a doubt, the food market is changing, and for the better. Sustainability, social as well as environmental, is the way of the future. Together we -- as farmworkers, farmers, and buyers -- are forging a path toward that better future."
For more details and to read the complete press release from Whole Foods, click here.
