Fair Food movement breaks ground in foodservice industry!

Posted on by CIW

CIW forges "innovative new model for fair labor standards in Florida’s tomato fields" with foodservice leader Bon Appetit.

Gerardo Reyes of the CIW: "The future of a fairer tomato industry is being written today, and this agreement is a rough draft. It’s not a final product, and it’s not meant to be. But it is a great first cut at building a relationship between farmworkers and their employers based on a genuine appreciation for the value of farmworkers’ labor – something that has been absent since the birth of the agricultural industry in Florida – and driven by a vision of universal human rights. We see this as a golden opportunity for Florida’s smaller, family-scale farmers to gain access to a market that has traditionally been beyond their reach, and to help elevate Florida’s agricultural industry in the process."

Fedele Bauccio, CEO of Bon Appétit Management Company: "America’s agricultural workers do jobs that are far more difficult and dangerous than the average retail or restaurant worker, yet these jobs are critical to our entire food chain. When I met with workers in the fields and saw first-hand how difficult their lives are, I knew that I could not, in good conscience, contribute to such a system. We buy almost 5 million pounds of tomatoes a year. I decided to use that power to make a real difference in the supply chain."

Dolores Huerta, Co-Founder, UFW: "We congratulate Bon Appétit Management Company for their support of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to bring humane treatment to those that bring the food to our table. This historic partnership between the food industry and farmworkers can end the slavery and slave-like conditions that farmworkers are subjected to in Florida and other states. ¡Si Se Puede!"

Check back for more on the groundbreaking agreement soon…