Silvia Perez, farmworker and CIW staff member: "All these successful campaigns to get more Participating Buyers for the Fair Food Program have only been possible with the support of students and people of faith."
Well, that's a wrap!
The Spring of Consciousness tour, led by farmworker staff members of the CIW alongside allies, stopped in major cities across Florida including Tampa, Miami, and Orlando in order to educate consumer, student, and faith communities about the important role they all play in guaranteeing farmworkers' human rights.
This statewide tour may be coming to an end, but we want to take a moment to thank all those who came out to listen to the presentations of farmworkers on the transformative impact of the Fair Food Program, as well as those who toured our mobile exhibit, which showcased the parallel worlds of agriculture: the exploitative conditions outside the FFP, and the industry-leading protections found within the program.
Over the last twenty years, the support of consumer allies has proved critical to the unprecedented success of the Fair Food Program. And as we expand and deepen the Program, we want to expand and deepen the national network of support. So if you are interested in learning more about how you can contribute to the expansion of the Presidential Medal-winning Fair Food Program, please email workers@ciw-online.org.
We also want to share an extended reflection on the Spring of Consciousness tour from a farmworker and senior staff member of the CIW, Silvia Perez, who gave presentations and connected with allies in several of the tour's stops:
For me, the goal of the Spring of Consciousness tour was to educate students and others to know the reality of farmworkers’ lives. My job was to explain the Campaign for Fair Food that we have and why we are doing it, and to join with allies calling for more corporations to join the Fair Food Program--for these corporations to do the correct thing.
Right now Wendy’s, Kroger, and Publix are doing the wrong thing because they are refusing to join the Fair Food Program. That refusal means that they are failing to ensure that workers who grow and harvest the crops sold on their shelves are protected from forced labor, stolen wages, sexual assault by supervisors, and many other dangerous conditions, including exposure to pesticides and heat stress. That is why we embarked on this statewide tour. All these successful campaigns to get more Participating Buyers for the FFP have only been possible with the support of students and people of faith.
As part of the tour, we had a mobile exhibit. This exhibit explained the work the CIW has done for years with our anti-slavery investigations. There are still many farmworkers who are in the dark, who do not have rights. They do not have the right to report violations and are silenced... They are not paid, or they been fired for trying to speak up. They are also threatened as well as their families to keep them silenced. The CIW has helped in over 12 cases involving farmworkers living in conditions of modern-day slavery. In many of these cases, farmworkers were surveilled 24 hours and were threatened with weapons. That is why we are doing this mini-tour.
The mobile exhibit as part of the Spring of Consciousness tour, complete with information on modern-day slavery in agriculture as well as how the Fair Food Program has eradicated extreme abuse for tens of thousands of farmworkers
We are going to continue to connect with allies, giving presentations in congregations and with students so consumers can hear the realities of the field. This is important because our allies are part of the national consumer base who have tremendous power with these corporations. They buy and consume everyday. They go to buy coffee or a sandwich and also go to the grocery store.
Our consumer allies have the power to carry our message and support farmworkers.
For me, I would like the Fair Food Program to expand to other industries and types of produce. There are still many fruits and vegetables that are unprotected. There are many farmworkers that are unprotected. They do not have the right to speak up, they still have fear of reporting abuses because if they report then they are fired. They stay silent to not lose their jobs. We want those farmworkers across the country to be protected under the Fair Food Program one day.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates on the Fair Food Program and the Campaign for Fair Food!
Fair Food Nation, get ready! This spring, in honor of National Farmworker Awareness Week, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers is embarking on the Spring of Consciousness tour across three of Florida’s biggest cities: Tampa, Miami, and Orlando! In each city, the CIW will connect with student, faith, and community allies and build awareness of the abuses farmworkers continue to face in fields from Homestead, Florida, to Delano, California, outside of the Fair Food Program (FFP). For the last twenty years, farmworkers and consumer allies have stood together in the Campaign for Fair Food, demanding dignity and respect for the people […]
Chandan Kumar, India Sugar Industry Workers Association: “This partnership will help Indian producers align with global standards and respond to international calls for greater transparency and accountability in supply chains.” Lucas Benitez, CIW co-founder: “We have seen firsthand the unparalleled impact of the FFP in the fields… We look forward to partnering with sugarcane workers in India to help bring that same transformation to India’s sugar industry — for the benefit of all, workers, farmers, and corporate buyers alike.” MAHARASHTRA, INDIA – A coalition of labor and human rights groups – coming together under the banner of the newly-formed India Sugar Industry […]
La Jornada: “Both the administrators and the CIW explain that, in the end, the agreement not only directly benefited the workers but also improved the company’s business and reputation.” Lucas Benitez, CIW co-founder, on Worker-driven Social Responsibility: “How beautiful it is that we can say: here’s the formula for this medicine and you can adapt it to your reality…” Since its inception 15 years ago, the Fair Food Program has ushered in a new day for farmworkers across the US by guaranteeing them essential human rights protections against wage theft, harassment, retaliation, and modern-day slavery. And now, the Presidential Medal-winning FFP […]
Welcome to Florida podcast: “The CIW was instrumental to enacting one of the most effective programs to improve working conditions for agriculture workers in U.S. history, the Fair Food Program.” Nely Rodriguez, CIW: “During the fast, I found myself reflecting on the things I’ve seen, like the mothers here who have to get up extremely early to drop their kids off at daycare or school, but under the Fair Food Program, that is no longer the case. If we can make this Program expand, those things will change.” Although the Fair Food Program now operates in 23 states domestically, covering […]
Gerardo Reyes Chavez, CIW: “We have been able to get rid of situations of modern-day slavery. The [Fair Food] Program has elevated conditions to the point of prevention.” “If you can do something to help some of the most vulnerable workers in this country, do it… Help us expand [the Fair Food Program].” As the Fair Food Program continues to expand both domestically and overseas, the CIW’s Gerardo Reyes Chavez sat down with Danielle Nierenberg, the founder of Food Tank, to reflect on the history of the CIW, the birth of the FFP, and the crucial role consumer allies continue to play today […]
José Ignacio, VT construction worker at press conference: “Just like we know that the community is facing challenges, we know that the community is capable of creating solutions.” Douglas Guerra, construction worker and CTUL Board President: “It is a win-win for both the workers and the companies that join the program. Workers can expect decent conditions and fair pay, while construction companies can be at the forefront of a system that will change the entire industry.” In yet another groundbreaking victory for advancing workers’ fundamental human rights through the Worker-driven Social Responsibility model, the Vermont Construction Company has committed to join […]
Professor Susan Marquis, in Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Envisioned and led by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the Fair Food Program is transforming agriculture, ending the endemic abuse on farms across the U.S. and, increasingly, around the globe. When this groundbreaking program was still a bold but untested idea in the early 2000s, Jimmy Carter and The Carter Center brought expertise in conflict resolution and Carter’s prestige to the farmworkers’ campaign for human rights.” Decades-long relationship began in 1997 with the former President’s public intervention in the CIW’s month-long hunger strike, continued through birth of Fair Food Program and growth of WSR […]
Farmworker with the CIW: “Heat and weariness don’t affect us because justice is priceless.” Alice Driver, author, on the CIW and Venceremos: “The CIW has organized workers since 1993, and, like Venceremos, it began as a small group of workers meeting weekly. Over the years, they developed a worker-led model and used protests and media campaigns to pressure retailers to source food ethically and encourage consumers to support just labor conditions.” As we ring in the new year — one sadly marked by a vast uncertainty and, in many communities, real fear — we want to take a moment to […]
Thanks to your generosity, the Fair Food Program has met its ambitious 2024 campaign goal of raising $2 million! The program’s unprecedented success since its launch in 2010 is a testament to the extraordinary passion and commitment of our community, and we are deeply grateful to all who contributed their time, effort, and resources over the past 15 years to make that success possible. Thanks to you, tens of thousands of farmworkers are empowered to be the frontline monitors of their own rights, and countless more workers will soon gain that power. Our shared belief in the importance of building […]
To date, we have raised $1,850,000 and we need just $150,000 more from Fair Food Program supporters to reach our $2 million goal! Remember, every gift made now will be matched 100%. In this joyous holiday season, we want to begin by offering our deepest gratitude for each and every donation we have received from supporters like you since we launched the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in a borrowed room from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church here in Immokalee over 30 years ago. Your support over the years has helped make it possible for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ Fair Food […]
