From birth to current day, I have observed the development of many amazing technologies, medical practices, and general scholastic achievements, yet one things has strangely stayed the same, farm worker conditions, benefits, and payment. In the time that the cellphone has gone from an obscure rich only idea to a practically necessity for everyday life, from the birth and rise of mega corporations, and their ongoing record profits despite recession, it is truly mind boggling that we have nearly third world working conditions for those who labor so hard and allow us to have food on our table.
The Coalition for Immoakalee workers, based out of Florida, certainly represent those issues and push for progress. Representing tomato workers, the group has fought hard for more reasonable working conditions, more fair compensation, visibility, and in some form, justice. I use the word more there to communicate my feeling on the matter, that while they've made progress, they still have a ways to go before we can say that the job is fair when compared to others in the nation. It was hard to look at it and not call it slavery in the status it was before the movement.
Crucial to their success was the support and subsequent tactics employed by the group. Like many civil rights movements years past, the CIW made use of student support, community support, but also employed religious support in the form of pray ins. Even more central was their pursuit of the companies that buy and resell the tomatoes, not the farmers employers. They were able to apply pressure from multiple angles thanks to their support base and saw their first success with Taco bell
But that isn't to say they don't still have a great deal of work ahead of themselves, nor is it to say that they haven't had to struggle to get where they are today. There is no denying that they have seen success by disrupting the narrative between consumer and producer in the sale of their products. Many of us couldn't be paid enough to muck through dirt, snatching and grabbing produce until our fingers bruise and bleed, yet these individuals do and at a price many of us wouldn't work for anyone at. Injecting that imagery, and sending a clear message to the producers that they can help fix the story by agreeing to their terms to put pressure on the suppliers proved to be a successful formula.
La Via Campensia is a movement with many parallels to the CIW. The movement is worldwide and represents the effects of corporate subjugation in developing nations. Where companies and more often subsidiaries, have colossal ownership in the area, but in such a way that the workers are not their employee's and the happenings of the workers are not worth their concern. It is sad when human life is reduced to dollar signs and the movement does a great job of getting that visibility out there so their plight can be understood. That alone won't win, they also do a great job of pointing out the flaws in the belief of free trade or namely that it doesn't exist. Power dynamics between trans national corporations and farmers are so heavily in favor of corporations and it is good to know that someone is getting that story out there. When companies mettle too much we get left with situations like Thailand where 50% of the population is forced to work rice patties because education doesn't happen. It isn't in the best interest of the parties that stand to profit to allow for education, good wages, or any degree of quality of life. They want us to believe the hype that they are the saviors of these people, yet here they stand the poison.
Still, both groups have a long way to go and their biggest hurdle is likely western culture. It is hard for many individuals to really empathize with the ongoing struggles when it is so very different from what we know. Oppression and poverty wears such a different mask in western society. I think it is the responsibility of consumers to be educated, much like I discussed in my first blog about the irresponsibility of tech companies, and to do their best to buy fair and encourage progress.
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I appreciate your call to arms regarding increasing awareness of these issues. I absolutely agree that western culture plays a role in perpetuating injustice but I would extend that role beyond cultural naivety to actually fostering the lack of consumer responsibility you mention. I think it is hard to feel responsible for choices that might impact others in a culture that is so incredibly individualistic. In that sense, awareness must be tempered with a sense of community if we're to have any chance of effecting change and not just creating an overwhelming feeling in the public that the we're all doomed.
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