Characters
Greg Asbed Cofounder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. A member of the CIW watermelon harvesting co-op crew that included Gerardo Reyes, Cruz Salucio, and Sean Sellers. Lead for the expansion of CIWs Worker-driven Social Responsibility (WSR) concept and program. Married to Laura Germino.
Lucas Benitez Cofounder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Born and raised in the southwestern Mexican state of Guerrero. Widely recognized voice of the CIW and an active leader in the Campaign for Fair Food and of CIWs Worker Education Program and outreach efforts. Active early in CIWs antislavery efforts.
Jon Esformes Co-CEO of Pacific Tomato Growers, one of the largest tomato growers in Florida, with operations in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, California, and Mexico.
Laura Safer Espinoza Moved to Florida in 2010 after retiring as a justice on the New York State Supreme Court. Founding executive director of the Fair Food Standards Council.
Laura Germino Cofounder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Director of the CIWs antislavery efforts and a recognized international leader in issues of forced labor. Married to Greg Asbed.
Steve Hitov Long-time social justice and human rights attorney. Began working with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in the early 1990s. Instrumental in negotiating Fair Food agreements with retail giants including Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Walmart.
Gerardo Reyes Joined the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in the late 1990s soon after arriving in Florida from Zacatecas, Mexico. Active leader in the Campaign for Fair Food and a frequent CIW voice on television and other media. In addition to working in citrus and tomatoes, a member of the watermelon crew.
Leonel Perez Met Cruz, Gerardo, Sean, and Greg in 2006 when they were working in Georgia on the CIW watermelon crew. Moved to Immokalee in 2007. Leonel is on the Coalition of Immokalee Workers staff and has been a radio host on Radio Conciencia 107.9, known as La Tuya, given presentations during major actions as part of the CIW Campaign for Fair Food, and is an active leader on the CIWs worker education teams.
Silvia Perez Arrived in Immokalee in 1993 and was one of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers earliest members, discovering the workers group in 1994. One of the first members of CIWs Grupo de Mujeres and joined the staff in 2007. A leader in the CIWs worker education team, long-time radio host on La Tuya, and an active voice in the Campaign for Fair Food.
Nely Rodriguez Worked in Michigans farm fields and then moved to Immokalee in 2000. Has been significantly involved in CIWs antislavery work and in the groundbreaking anti-sexual-harassment program.
Cruz Salucio Arrived in Immokalee from Huehuetenango, Guatemala, and learned of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers through La Tuya. An active leader in the Campaign for Fair Food, a long-time radio host on La Tuya, and a primary leader of the CIWs worker education teams.
Sean Sellers Initially interned at the Coalition of Immokalee Workers through the Student/Farmworker Alliance. Eventually led the SFA and later became a founding staff member of the Fair Food Standards Council. Long-time member of the watermelon harvesting crew.
David Wang Immigrated to the United States when he was fourteen, just after World War II. Graduated in engineering from Georgia Tech. In his career he has been a senior vice president at Union Carbide, a director at International Paper, and an operating partner at Atlas Holdings. Began supporting the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in the late 1990s.
Acronyms and Organizations
Southwest Florida Farmworker Project: Precursor to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Founded in 1993 by farmworkers in Immokalee, Florida. The migrant workers worked in citrus and, most significantly, in tomatoes. Greg Asbed, Lucas Benitez, and Laura Germino are the three remaining cofounders active in the CIW.
Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW): The Southwest Florida Farmworkers Project formally incorporated as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in 1995. Usually referred to as CIW but also as the Coalition.
Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA): Ally of the Coalition, established in the late 1990s by university students in Florida and now a national organization.
Campaign for Fair Food: The campaign launched by the CIW in 2001 beginning with a boycott against Taco Bell. The campaign called for fair wages and safe working conditions for farmworkers and for workers to have a place at the table when the Florida tomato industry made decisions that affected their work, pay, and safety.
Fair Food Program: The CIW established this program in 2010 when the Campaign for Fair Food achieved agreements with major retail buyers and producers (referred to as growers). The Fair Food Program includes the code of conduct, the penny-per-pound Fair Food premium, the Fair Food Standards Council and its audits and 24/7 complaint line, and CIWs Worker Education Program.
Fair Food Standards Council (FFSC): The oversight and monitoring nongovernmental agency for the Fair Food Program. Established in 2011.
Acknowledgments
Writers may write the books, but this writer at least could not have done so without support and encouragement from many, many people. As is always the case, their assistance was critical, and any errors are my own. I must begin my appreciation with David Wang, who introduced me to the members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. David is a generous philanthropist, and his support of the Pardee RAND Graduate School made it possible for me to visit Immokalee. His thoughtful insight was of great value, and David remained a touchstone throughout my research and writing.
This book is about not just the history of the CIW and the mechanics of the Fair Food Program but about the people of the CIW and the Fair Food Standards Council. They have shared their ideas and their lives with me for the past six years. Id particularly like to thank those who were patient through many interviews and discussions, worked with me to schedule about a half-dozen visits to Immokalee, made it possible for me to observe and interview CIW worker education teams and FFSC audit teams, and took the time to walk me through the intricacies and nuances of Fair Food agreements, the code of conduct, and the Fair Food premium. In addition to those who participated in formal interviews and are acknowledged in the Note on Sources, Id like to thank Marley Moynahan, Natalie Rodriguez, Daniel Cooper Bermudez, and Brian Kudinger from the CIW and the Student/Farmworker Alliance. Logistics, scheduling, translating, and photos: I could not have dived as deeply without your help.
I would not have written this book were it not for the work of Barry Estabrook and Eric Schlosser. Barry wrote the Gourmet article and then the masterful book Tomatoland, which brought the harsh reality of Floridas tomato fields to my attention (and many others) back in 2009. Eric Schlossers revolutionary Fast Food Nation hit hard in 2001, taking a no-holds-barred look at the rise and perils of fast food in the United States. That book continues to be a benchmark for those who care about food policy and the sources of our food. Schlosser caused readers to think about the food we eat and the effects of our consumption, not only on our health but also on agriculture, the environment, but particularly the people who grow, harvest, process, and serve what we eat. Schlosser extended this story in
