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Article

1 Sep 2012

Author:
[opinion] Holly Burkhalter, International Justice Mission, in Washington Post

Fair Food Program helps end the use of slavery in the tomato fields [USA]

Since 1997, the Justice Department has prosecuted seven cases of slavery in the Florida agricultural industry — four involving tomato harvesters — freeing more than 1,000 men and women. The...catalogue of horrors: abductions, pistol whippings, confinement at gunpoint, debt bondage and starvation wages...Today, virtually all Florida tomato growers have joined the Fair Food Program, which includes a code of conduct outlawing debt bondage and requiring humane conditions...Shade stations, toilets and drinking water are appearing...[R]etailers, pressed by consumers and civil society groups [led by Coalition of Immokalee Workers], saw the market and publicity benefits of ethical buying practices...But the Fair Food Program won’t be sustainable unless...grocery stores — [join]...Despite years of pressure...major supermarket chains including Ahold, Kroger’s and Publix have snubbed the Fair Food Program...[and its system of] independent monitoring and evaluation. [also refers to Subway, McDonald’s, Burger King, Whole Foods, Aramark, Compass]

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