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Article

10 Sep 2009

Author:
Barry Estabrook, Gourmet Magazine [USA]

Politics of the Plate: Has Chipotle Saved the Tomato Slaves? [USA]

For the first time, a major Florida tomato producer, East Coast Growers and Packers, has implemented the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’(CIW) “Fair Food” program, breaking ranks with the dozen or so Florida companies that raise and ship most of the fresh tomatoes Americans eat during the cold months. The CIW’s initiative includes a one-penny-per-pound wage hike...and a stringent code of fair labor practices... Chipotle Mexican Grill, the enlightened burrito chain with nearly 900 restaurants across the country, agreed to buy its tomatoes from East Coast Growers (Chipotle had previously declined to support the Fair Food program)... the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, a cooperative representing most large growers in the state, refused to be a conduit for the extra penny a pound... [also refers to McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Yum Brands, Bon Appetit Management (part of Compass Group), Whole Foods]