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Farmworkers
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Do you eat apples, oranges, grapes, peaches, pears, strawberries,
cherries, potatoes, asparagus, cauliflower, beets, lettuce, tomatoes,
cucumbers, garlic, onions, chilis, or nuts? If you do, then you are
directly linked with farmworkers whose labor in the fields and
processing plants has helped provide you with these foods. These
farmworkers are some of the poorest workers in the U.S. and their
human rights are constantly violated as they labor to bring food to
our tables.
The conditions on many US farms can only be referred to as "sweatshops
in the fields." Exceedingly low pay, few breaks, poor sanitation,
exposure to pesticides and other harmful chemicals, lack of access to
heath care and education, and denial of workers' right to organize are
some of the conditions faced by the millions of farm laborers across
the United States. Farmworkers who plant, harvest, and process our
food deserve the same human rights, including labor rights, as any
other worker. Fortunately there are many ways in which consumers and
activists can play in role in supporting the human rights of farm
workers and ensure that those who grow the food we eat are treated
with dignity.
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