Prompt #8: CIW and Via Campensia

      In an effort to improve working conditions and wages amongst individuals who are exposed to such a horrible environment, there are many groups that speak out and attempt to draw attention to the corporations at fault. Two groups that are recognized greatly are the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (C.I.W.) and La Via Campensia. Even though they are based out of different areas and have slightly different goals, both groups are largely fighting the same fight. Additionally, both are tackling injustice in different ways.

       The C.I.W. —which is a non-profit organization—advocates and pushes for large corporations to raise the wages and working conditions for those picking tomatoes that ultimately end up with major corporations. One of the ways they’ve accomplished much of what they have is through the “Campaign for Fair Food.” As it says on their websites mission statement, they “want major buyers of tomatoes to pay a premium of one penny more per pound for their tomatoes.” Though this they’ve come to agreements with fast food chains such as McDonald’s and Taco Bell to help increase pay.

            Corporations universally lowball illegal immigrants—a population that makes up a large portion of these workers—because truthfully they aren’t able to have much voice. However, in this case it’s a double-edged sword. Yes, illegal immigrants aren’t entitled to standard wages, but to the contrary, these corporations aren’t legally allowed to employ them. This conflict is what corporations rely on…illegal immigrants keeping quiet on treatment and pay.

      Via Campensia is a movement (which includes upwards of 100 organizations) that focuses more on individuals’ rights to produce. It was this group that coined the phrase, “food sovereignty.” By this they were--and continue--to give individuals the rights to legally grow and produce crops on their own land. This fight is so crucial because as their website states: “It is based on the conviction that small farmers, including peasant fisher-folk, pastoralists and   indigenous people, who make up almost half the world's people, are capable of producing food for their communities and feeding the world in a sustainable and healthy way.”

         Elaborating on this, the price of purchasing food and other necessities from corporations is WAY more expensive than the cost of utilizing your own land to survive.

         Both groups rely on many things to get their points across, but none is more important than the sheer number of individuals that are involved in these movements. Each represents well over 100 million people. And by making each of these voices heard, the pressure will continue to rise. Both are becoming a disruption by making so much of this injustice public knowledge rather than have major corporations hide their wrongdoings. However, like we saw with the Taco Bell case –when the CEO claimed to have zero knowledge of such treatment—equal rights is definitely hard to come by in these instances.