(from Gourmet Magazine)
The price of tomatoes.
An hour outside Naples, Florida is Immokalee Farms. It produces many of the tomatoes in our supermarkets. It is also a site for modern-day slavery in the United States. The majority of farmers are Latino, one third live under the poverty line. Farmers are lured by the promise of a steady income, but like similar schemes in Southeast Asia, everything--from hose showers ($5 each) to two meager meals a day--costs more than they are being paid. Lucas was supposed to earn $200 a week, but soon his "employer" docked his pay, and after all the "expenses," he was $300 in debt.
$300 in debt in exchange for a month of ten-hour work days. If Lucas tried to leave, he would be severely beaten. Over the years, Lucas was deprived of $55,000 that he rightfully earned.
This is involuntary servitude, slavery.
When asked if it is reasonable to assume that the tomatoes found in our supermarkets in the winter were picked by slaves, the chief assistant US attorney replied: "It is not an assumption, it is a fact."
(photo by David Albers)
Learn & see more at the Modern-Slavery Museum.
On its nationwide tour, it is making its way to New York City today. For NYU-ers, it'll be at Washington Sq. Park tomorrow. Dates and locations below, see website for locations in other states:
Monday, August 2
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
1047 Amsterdam Ave.
10am - 9pm
Tuesday, August 3
Judson Memorial Church,
55 Washington Square South
10am - 9pm
Wednesday, August 4
Middle Collegiate Church
50 E. 7th Street
10am - 9pm
Posts
that's awful. where do these products go? what types of supermarkets?
ReplyDeletenot exactly sure, from farm to supermarket, it goes through many hands. but I think more info is on the website or at the museum itself! (but I know you're pretty busy).
ReplyDeleteInteresting This American Life podcast on where your produce may come from: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/395/Middle-of-the-Night