Half of all fresh tomatoes in the U.S. come from Florida farms. This region that feeds the country has a dirty secret; working conditions there are so bad it’s referred to as America’s ‘ground zero for slavery.’
End Slavery in the U.S. Tomato
Florida’s tomato farms supply 50% of all U.S. fresh tomatoes but have also been called America’s ‘ground zero for slavery.’ Countless workers are held against their will, threatened with violence and forced to haul hundreds of heavy tomato buckets a day for little to no pay.
Right now is the worst part of Florida’s tomato picking season – the days are hot and there is tremendous pressure on growers to turn a profit, making conditions ripe for worker exploitation.
Thankfully, a new solution called the Fair Food Program enforces a policy of zero tolerance for slavery on tomato farms.
But a major U.S. supermarket chain, Publix Super Markets, refuses to support the Fair Food Program. Publix continues to buy tomatoes from growers whose workers still toil beyond the reach of the Fair Food Program’s proven protection from modern slavery.
Tell Publix to make the right decision to join the Fair Food Program and fight modern slavery in the U.S. tomato industry.