Who Is Growing And Picking The Food You Eat And How Are They Being Treated?

Apr 30, 2021

Kerry Kennedy, President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and renowned author, joins to discuss the often-overlooked plight of food and farmworkers in the U.S. She highlights the historical exclusion of these workers from the Fair Labor Standards Act and the challenges they face, including modern slavery. The conversation unveils the inspiring Coalition of Immokalee Workers and their Fair Food Program, which protects workers' rights and promotes corporate accountability. Kennedy advocates for a more just food system and sustainable practices.

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INSIGHT

Food and Farm Worker Disparities

Many food and farm workers, often people of color, lack basic protections and earn less than minimum wage.
The Fair Labor Act of the 1930s excluded these workers, contributing to health disparities.

ANECDOTE

Coalition of Immokalee Workers' Success

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) successfully combats exploitation and abuse of farm workers.
Their model is now used in various sectors, including garment work and the MeToo movement.

ANECDOTE

Farm Workers' Boycott

Farm workers faced various injustices, including lack of basic necessities and sexual abuse.
They boycotted purchasers of farm products, like Wendy's and Taco Bell, leading to Fair Food Program practices.

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Who Is Growing And Picking The Food You Eat And How Are They Being Treated? | This episode is brought to you by Belcampo

Most of us don’t think about food and farmworkers when we are eating or shopping for groceries, but this is actually the largest sector of workers in the United States. Unfortunately, these workers have historically been marginalized and are often unprotected and underpaid.

In this minisode, Dr. Hyman offers a brief overview of why food and farmworkers were not included in the United States Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. He also talks to Kerry Kennedy about a group of farmworkers who banded together to create the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to fight for better wages and working conditions. This coalition of farmworkers found a creative solution to injustice by creating the Fair Food Program, which mandates that growers provide basic protections for their workers.

Kerry Kennedy is the president of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. Since 1981, she has worked on diverse human rights issues including child labor, disappearances, indigenous land rights, judicial independence, freedom of expression, ethnic violence, impunity, women's rights, and the environment. Kerry is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Being Catholic Now, Robert F. Kennedy: Ripples of Hope, and Speak Truth to Power: Human Rights Defenders Who Are Changing Our World. Kerry founded RFK Compass, which convenes biannual meetings of institutional investors who collectively control $5 to $7 trillion in assets to address the impact of human rights violations on investment outcomes. She serves on the boards of the U.S. Institute of Peace, Human Rights First, Ethics in Action, SDG USA, Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa, Health eVillages, Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation, Nizami Ganjavi International Center as well as several public companies.

This episode is brought to you by Belcampo. Right now, you can order Belcampo’s sustainably-raised meats to be delivered to your door using my code HYMAN at Belcampo.com/Hyman for 20% off for first-time customers.

Find Dr. Hyman’s full-length conversation with Kerry Kennedy, “Is Your Food Grown by Oppressed Farmworkers?” here: https://DrMarkHyman.lnk.to/KerryKennedy

Find Dr. Hyman’s full-length conversation with Dr. Charles Modlin, Dr. Leonor Osorio, and Tawny Jones from Cleveland Clinic, “Why We Have The Worst Health Outcomes Of All Industrialized Nations” here: https://DrMarkHyman.lnk.to/ModlinOsorioJones