Delving into the Food Supply Chain: The Case of Fresh Tomatoes

Abstract

This story opens in Immokalee, Florida, the fresh tomato capital of the USA. It is about one aspect of social practices in food production: the movement to increase the pay of farmworkers in the supply chain of the American tomato. In a new model of worker organizing, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) realized growers were themselves squeezed by large fast food companies and supermarkets. So the Coalition went directly to food giants through their “penny a pound” movement, demanding that companies sign a Fair Food Agreement with a human rights code of conduct and independent monitoring. Today, coast to coast, at many fast food restaurants in the USA, you are eating a fair food tomato. And tomato pickers are earning more per week.

Supplementary Applications

• 1. The Food Chains documentary can be downloaded from iTunes. After viewing the film, summarize some of the strategies used in the film. Why do you think they were successful?

• 2. Conduct some research on the progress toward achieving a living wage for other fair food fruits and vegetables.

• 3. Go to the website called Behind the Brands at www.behindthebrands.org, which is part of Oxfam America. Behind the Brands rates the ten largest food brands on a range of issues from the treatment of workers to environmental policies. Click on the scorecard to understand how it is constructed. Then click on brands, select a brand that you consume, and see how it rates on various criteria.