Fair Food Austin: ATX rolls deep at the Farmworker Freedom March!

April 23, 2010

ATX rolls deep at the Farmworker Freedom March!

Last weekend, nearly two dozen Austin residents — including members of Fair Food Austin, Proyecto Defensa Laboral, Ella Pelea, and Son Armado — made the 2,300-mile round-trip trek to Florida and back to join the Farmworker Freedom March!

The three-day march from Tampa to Lakeland — hometown of Publix Super Markets, Inc., a major buyer of Florida tomatoes and the 9th largest privately held corporation in the US — was organized by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and attracted over 1,000 participants from 23 states. The weekend culminated in a rain-soaked final march on Sunday afternoon followed by a massive rally and concert. The rally also marked the last stop on a six-week tour of the Florida Modern-Day Slavery Museum.

While Austin has a long and distinguished history of participation in CIW mobilizations, the infectious energy of this remarkable gathering won't soon be forgotten by those in attendance!

Click here for photos, press, and more from the Farmworker Freedom March.

And although the march is over, the struggle continues! Stay tuned for news and announcements on next steps in the Campaign for Fair Food deep in the heart of Texas.

Who We Are

Since 2001, Fair Food Austin has organized with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) for fair wages and dignified working conditions in the U.S. agricultural industry. The CIW is a farmworker organization headquartered in Immokalee, Florida with over 4,000 members. The CIW has aided in the prosecution by the Department of Justice of six slavery operations and the liberation of well over 1,000 workers.

We use creative methods to educate consumers about the human rights crisis farmworkers face and to promote the Campaign for Fair Food. The campaign requires large food corporations -- from Taco Bell to Whole Foods -- to demand more humane labor standards from their Florida tomato suppliers, to pay a premium price for more fairly produced tomatoes, and to buy only from growers who meet those higher standards.

Brutal conditions in Florida's fields may seem distant to consumers deep in the heart of Texas, but many of the restaurant and supermarket chains that have helped create this crisis are present in our community and buy Florida tomatoes at some point during the year. Human rights are universal, and by working together, farmworkers and consumers can create a better world.