Monday, December 24, 2012

Holidays spark powerful reflections in national media, lifting up the Fair Food Nation...
... and imploring grocers and consumers alike to "give thanks for those hands who struggle day in and day out in Florida’s fields to produce the meal before you."
You don't always hear much from companies after the transformative moment in which they step up to participate in the Fair Food Program beyond the initial press release. On exception is the Bon Appetit Management Co., who joined the Program in 2009, whose leadership often extends beyond partnering with Florida growers and the CIW, and overflows into the Twittersphere. Choosing to go more long-form for the holidays, Maisie Greenawalt, Vice President of Strategy at the food service company, graced the Huffington Post with a strikingly personal, moving account of the Campaign for Fair Food and the new world being built by the Fair Food Program, "My Holiday Wish: Let's Change the Lives of America's Farmworkers":
"I've got more-than-adequate food and shelter. And I also have a great job. As the vice president of strategy for Bon Appetit Management Company -- a food service provider committed to a sustainable future for us all -- I get to work on issues that are important to me and to make changes that I think are meaningful.
But one of those issues still needs addressing, and I can't do it alone. And despite our spending power of over $75 million a year for produce, my company can't do it alone, either...
For more from Maisie Greenawalt and also an excellent reflection highlighting of one of Publix's most scandalous moves by long-time supporter Rev. Libby Shannon, check out the CIW website!
As we all begin to gather with our families, let's heed the call of these leading voices -- from the highest spheres of the business world to the grassroots faith community -- and contemplate the hands which picked our food. And let us carry that reflection from the holiday dinner table into the New Year, where we can translate that consciousness into commitment in the streets for the March for Rights, Respect and Fair Food -- and create lasting change in the Florida tomato industry.

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