Stand with farmworkers on September 27 for a virtual action to demand Kroger join the Fair Food Program!
Action alert! Calling all members of the Fair Food Nation!
A year ago the notorious crewleader of Los Villatoros’ harvesting company, Bladimir Moreno, pleaded guilty to the federal charge of conspiracy to commit forced labor. Under Moreno, more than a dozen workers were held in forced labor, compelled to harvest watermelon as well as other fruits and vegetables that ended up on our kitchen tables.
In a shocking revelation, the US Department of Labor named the supermarkets that profited from this abuse – and at the top of that list was Kroger, one of the country’s largest supermarkets, which is in the process of trying to become even bigger. And horrifyingly, this isn’t even the first time Kroger’s supply chain was found to be tainted by forced labor.
Marking the one-year anniversary of the criminal sentences handed down in the Moreno case – and a year of total silence from Kroger – we are calling on everyone in the Fair Food Nation to stand up and demand Kroger join the Fair Food Program to ensure the dignity and safety of farmworkers in its supply chain.
Moreno and his associates may be behind bars, but real progress against modern slavery can only be achieved when all participants in our food supply system are laser-focused on rooting out labor abuses wherever they occur.
With the support of thousands of allies in Florida, CIW has worked diligently to sound the alarm about conditions in Kroger’s supply chain. To stand up for the rights of the survivors of forced labor and to champion the proven solution in the Fair Food Program, farmworkers and allies marched shoulder-to-shoulder over 50 miles in 5 days, starting outside that very same forced labor camp from which workers first escaped in the Moreno case. The commitment of those who marched highlighted the urgency of Kroger’s human rights problem. Together, we have urged Kroger’s corporate leadership to join the FFP for years.
At every step, Kroger has remained steadfast in its silence.
With over a decade of unparalleled success at safeguarding the human rights of farmworkers, the Presidential Medal-winning Fair Food Program is the only proven solution to preventing forced labor in agriculture. When it comes to guaranteeing human rights for workers in its supply chain, Kroger lags behind its major competitors – including Trader Joe’s, Ahold, and Whole Foods – who have joined the Fair Food Program.
That is why we are asking all supporters of farmworkers’ human rights to reach out to Kroger on September 27th to let them know their customer base is deeply concerned about the human rights crisis in its supply chain. It is high time for them to do what is right. We cannot allow Kroger to turn a blind eye and blame others for slavery in its supply chain.
Don’t think Kroger is in your area? Look closer. Your local grocery store may be owned by Kroger. In addition to Kroger grocery stores, the corporate behemoth owns and operates Baker’s, City Market, Copps, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Foods Co, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Gerbes, Harris Teeter, Jay C Food Store, King Soopers, Mariano’s, Metro Market, Pay-Less Super Markets, Pick ’n Save, Owen’s, QFC, Ralphs, Roundy’s, Ruler, and Smith’s Food and Drug.
Together, we can ensure that Kroger hears our calls for justice in the fields.
Stay tuned for more details, including the script you can use to call, email, and chat with Kroger, as well as a letter you can deliver to the manager of your local Kroger or its affiliate in your hometown.