#8 The Coalition of Immokalee Workers and La Via Campesina

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers and La Via Campesina




http://ciw-online.org/ - CIW


Both of these groups are international leaders in the fight for farmers rights and justice. The CIW and La Via Campesina are battling similar enemies but fighting on different battlefronts.


The CIW fights for justice on Florida's tomato farms. They have targeted large fast food chains including Burger King, McDonalds, and Taco Bell asking for a one cent raise per pound of tomatos picked. Immokalee farmers are only paid between 40 and 45 cents per 32 pound bucket of tomatos.

The exploitation of immigrants in Florida, both legal and illegal, has been going on for over 30 years. Workers have no employment rights to organize or receive benefits outside their wages. Seven cases of modern day slavery have been brought to light by the CIW.

 Living conditions on Florida tomato farms are very poor. Residents and tomato pickers are often stuck in a cycle of poverty because of their low wages and because the majority of these wages are spent just so a worker can have a place to sleep or food to eat. Farmers who work at Immokalee are dependent on their jobs and the people who control their living conditions. Surpluss populations have made workers disposeable and gives no incentive for those who are in control to change their power structure or to change any of the poor conditions workers are facing.

The demand for a one cent raise was a symbolic and important step forward for Florida's farm workers. The call for a one cent raise is important because "one cent" seems very miniscule to the public. When a typical American finds a penny on the ground, he/she will walk by without stopping. One cent can't buy anything in America by itself, but these pennies hold a lot of weight for tomato farmers. If a 32 pound bucket of tomatos currently pays a farmer 45 cents. The one cent raise per pound would increase this farmers wages up to 77 cents per bucket. This seems like a very simple battle for the CIW, because its just one more cent per pound. But it has proved to be difficult to get large corporations to agree to the raise.

Fast food chains have shaped the market for many aspects of the food industry. Their huge purchases allow a great deal of leverage and power through out the food industry. Denial is used by the corporate food giants across America. Grocery stores including Trader Joe's have refused to agree on the 1 cent per pound raise. Similar protests as the ones against Trader Joe's have been seen against other supermarket chains like Publix. Here is news coverage of one of the tactics used by CIW protesters who rode their bikes from Immokalee to the Publix headquarters 200 miles away. http://bit.ly/qn4o4w



http://bit.ly/sPzOQI - TEDx - Gerardo Reyes-Chavez CIW


Gerardo Reyes-Chavez speaks about how the massive force placed upon the industry by chain restaurants like McDonalds and Taco Bell has created slavery like working conditions. The entire industry is squezed by these corporations demand. CIW workers are asking these corporations to give them a raise, respect the rights of the workers, and to find new ways of food production.

http://viacampesina.org/en/ - La Via Campesina



La Via Campesina refers to the "international peasant movement" and is composed of over 140 organizations world wide. La Via Campesina is leading the fight against globalization and corporate control of the food industry.

Here is a video produced by La Via Campesina.
http://bit.ly/ud9kmZ

This video shows some of the La Via Campesina protests and interviews with many of its members. They fight for what they believe is a human right, to produce and have access to food. It is clear who the winners and losers are when it comes to globalization of the world's food. Small local farmers have been loosing this game along with countries to the South. 

Their main fight is for food sovereignty. This term refers to small/medium-scale self sustainable agriculture used for local consumption.

La Via Campesina defines food sovereignty as “The RIGHT of peoples, countries, and state unions to define their agricultural and food policy without the “dumping” of agricultural commodities into foreign countries. Food sovereignty organizes food production and consumption according to the needs of local communities, giving priority to production for local consumption. Food sovereignty includes the right to protect and regulate the national agricultural and livestock production and to shield the domestic market from the dumping of agricultural surpluses and low-price imports from other countries. Landless people, peasants, and small farmers must get access to land, water, and seed as well as productive resources and adequate public services. Food sovereignty and sustainability are a higher priority than trade policies.”

The food sovereignty movement has spread around the world. Here is a blog I found called Food Freedom. It defines and describes some of the food sovereignty movements in Venezuela and Cuba
http://bit.ly/4MmK69

Here is a link to the International Planning Committee For Food Sovereignty. Another leader in the food sovereignty movement. http://bit.ly/mix4cB


Food sovereignty is a movement to change the way food is produced around the world. It is a social movement created to empower the people. The World Bank and WTO along with large food corporations have dominated the international food industry. This alternative food movement is a way for peasants to control their fields again. The current system of food production is not sustainable and those who support the food sovereignty movement believe this is the answer to the problems they have been facing for years.


Here is a video by La Via Campesina about food sovereignty. This one is a little longer but even more in depth.
http://bit.ly/tfuko7

Companies like Monsanto, Pioneer, Bayer, and Limagrain have been controlling seed production and planting around the world. Here is a movie called The World According to Monsanto. http://bit.ly/vjOD9u


Monsanto's terminator technology has destroyed small farmers. Like Raj Patel talks about in his book Stuffed and Starved, farmers around the world have been committing suicides at rates never seen before. http://bit.ly/149zGH

Raj Patel on the creation of the Third World. http://bit.ly/p40qAi
The dangers of industururial agriculture are a real threat to our world but with such massive populations on this planet how do we feed all of these people in a ethical way? Here is another video with Raj Patel talking about the food crisis. and ways we can face the challenges. Planet check with Raj Patel http://bit.ly/rG5f0k

#7 The Origin of Rice

The Origin of Rice

Rice is one of the most common foods in the world. But how is it produced? I had no idea...

Here are some videos describing how rice is grown and produced around the world.

http://bit.ly/pmX5Sg How To Grow Rice

http://bit.ly/uZu2K1 Rice Growing Time Lapse (112 days)

http://bit.ly/s5y2P9 Rice Planting Steps (75 cents per day)

http://bit.ly/rv48jz A Day In The Life Of A Philippine Rice Field

http://bit.ly/rGKRle  BBC Chinese Rice Culture

As you can see from these videos growing rice is a long and strenous process. Some farmers use animal power to plow their fields while others are lucky enough to have power tools. In one of the videos the camera man says the workers are paid around 75 cents per day. Obvissouly this is not enough for producing one of the most important crops in the world. Some communities are completely dependent on the production of rice like the one in the BBC video.

This website gives a lot of basic knowledge about the rice industry.

http://bit.ly/s5wNZw



This website has some very important graphics which tell a great deal about the rice industry. This graph shows who is producing the most rice in the world. According to Sage Foods, almost 560 Million Metric Tons (MMT) of rice are grown annually. More than double of what it was 40 years ago. "Of the 560 MMT produced almost 60 percent is grown and consumed in China and India."


The next graph shows which countries were exporting the most rice in 1999. I was suprised that China was not on this list, I assume that China produces most of its rice for consumption. I was also suprised to see the U.S. near the top of this list (around 8 MMT). I didn't know that we produced large quantities of rice. Here is a video describing the rice industry in California. http://bit.ly/uDyYL2 Here is another video showing how rice is produced in California. http://bit.ly/uBylBe

Another graph from this website says Arkansas produces the majority of our rice, followed by California, Louisiana, and Texas. Here are updated statistics of the importing and exporting of rice around the world. http://reut.rs/iK2RQ5

OREC- http://bit.ly/vTOtGi also has globalization statistics for the rice industry. The Organization of Rice Exporting Countries is made up of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.

The Price of the worlds rice has continued to rise in recent years which has created issues around the world. http://bit.ly/rMPWLG

The lack of organization around the rice exporting industry has made it difficult to limit the price of this staple crop. Here is a blog describing some of the issues http://bit.ly/vkrlNf.


Rice production is also dramatically affected by droughts or floods in regions of rice cultivation. recently floods in Thailand have damaged their exporting capabilities and success. Globalization has also created great opportunities for developing countries around the world. I thought this blog did a great job at describing globalization and rice. http://bit.ly/tCeYU4

Rice is one of the most important crops around the world. It is important to understand that this crop has very little security because of the strict conditions it is produced in. The dangers of droughts and floods are a threat to mass production. http://bit.ly/vO3iP8

 Like many crops rice farmers are paid very little and have little employee rights.  Rice sovereignty is also like most other crops. Corporations have the power to export and make large profits off of this crop. Companies like C&M Products of America have economic power and use it to exploit the production of other countries. Haiti is dependent on American rice, because exports have destroyed their farms. http://bit.ly/seYf6p



Most rice is not exported far. The majority of rice is consumed in relatively close proximity to where it is grown and harvested. I think the majority of rice, and rice products in Washington are produced in California. Other ethnic style rices are most likely exported from Thailand, India, or Vietnam. The affects of Patel's hourglass example are clear in the production of rice around the world. Farmers have very little power and choice. They are underpaid and are controlled by the crop they grow.

Food Inc.

Food Inc. 

http://bit.ly/12nDKS

In response to the question about producing food, not chickens. I think this means that we are not breeding chickens as healthy animals, we are breeding them as the most profitable food sources. Chickens are fed in order to make them fat and more productive. I think this is true. Farmers who kill chickens for their meat are not typically raising chickens to be naturally healthy. This can be a good concept for humanity because, as humans we are creating the more productive animals. If we can make chickens which have more meat and lay more eggs we are able to depend more on their products. This prospective also disturbs me at the same time. If we are modifying chickens to meet our desires and demands in unnatural ways this could lead to harmful results.

Our dependency on corn and soybeans is also an issue worth paying attention to. If all of our products and foods are made out of the same ingredients it could lead to a catastrophic failure. If either, or both of these products were to crash due to natural forces we could be in for a disaster. This dependency allows for some select companies to benefit greatly from our dependency but others suffer. Also it is important for consumers to have a wide range of nutrients which they would not get from eating products which all contain similar ingredients. 

The price we pay for buying the cheapest food is poor conditions for workers on the other end of the hour glass. Tomato farmers are a great example of this. We want cheap "fast food" with ingredients like tomatos but the price we pay as a society for this food is having slavery like work conditions in places like Immokalee Florida. I disagree with this method of exploitation, but in some ways this is how our country was built. In order for some to live like royalty, others must be exploited.

Price and efficiency drive our food system and our whole economic system for that matter. I think price should not be the motivating factor in our food system, ethics, morals, human rights, and employee rights should have a more important role. I have found that when I am not in need of money I am a more kind, caring, and helpful person. I think this is also true for all other aspects of life. If dollars don't matter so much and we all are living comfortable people are more benevolent. I think our food system could change for the better if those in the middle of the hour glass were willing to value profits secondary. I think the quality of our food would be the biggest change because that is often one loss to maximum profits. Also worker conditions and rights would change for the better. We would also have the chance to value our environment more than the mighty dollar. If we could put profits and individual greed in the backseat we could limit the damage to the earth. Accidents like oil spills would be limited, damage from agriculture reduced, and other profit driven damage could be stopped.

The seed patent is like one of the most rediculuous things I have ever heard of. How can someone own all seeds of a certin type? Patents are tricky, there are some things which no one person or entity should be able to own. Technologies like the internet are a great example of this. When there are inventions or developments which benefit all of mankind the public should be in control, not a single monopoly. If I were robbed of my families tradition like this there is no way I would follow the law. I think the American government has a responsibility to stop patents like this from controlling our countries food industry. Food is something everyone should have a right to, in a true democracy patents on seeds should not be allowed.

Consumers should know what's in their foods. This is the first step to unveiling the secrets behind our food and how it is produced. A more educated public will make more educated decisions on their food choices. This is not what those in power want. That is why we see groups like the Center for Consumer Freedom, who fight against increased labeling on our foods. The CCF is a front set up to confuse consumers and to protect the corporations who are profiting off of harming the public through unhealthy products.

I think this film mostly privileges the experiences of Americans because most of what we see is focused on our food industry and production within our boarders. There are many issues this film could not include which extend overseas but it also has a focus on issues that have affected Mexico and their corn industry.

I first saw this film in my biology 101 class a year or two ago but we never finished it, and I did not really understand some of the issues. I own a burned copy from PBS and watched it again this last weekend. After taking this class the movie began to shock me more than when I first watched it. I think this film is very important to our country because it exposes many of the problems facing our food industry and effectively our consumers. Everyone should watch this film and learn more about the food industry, simply because everyone eats. Too many Americans are uneducated on our food industry, including myself. That is one reason why I am thankful for taking this course, it has opened my eyes to the problems surrounding our food and its production. I hope more movies like this are created in the near future because it is a great way to inform large audiences and the general public.

#6 Shopping As the "Other"

Shopping As The "Other"


I visited Dissmores IGA for this assignment like I normally would to load up on groceries. Dissmores is one of the more expensive supermarkets in the Pullman-Moscow area because of their close proximity to the WSU campus. Like many students I shop at Dissmores for convenience. Because Dissmores is linked to WSU they are very good targeting students shoppers.



Dissmores dose a great job at catching the eye of students with displays, sales, and placement around the store. The very first thing I saw as I walked into the store was a giant display of Budweiser and Coors products. Accompaning the beer was another display of Tostitos chips and dip and Tims Cascade Chips. In case your a not shopping for beer there was also a giant display of Monster energy drinks and Coca-Cola products. As I walked around I noticed some of the products on sale. Many of these products are directed specifically at college students who don't cook, products like frozen pizza, Banquet meals, Hot Pocket products, and frozen chicken wings.

Dissmores has a giant beer selection which covers half of an entire isle in the store. This is clearly one of their largest sellers towards college students. Dissmores strategiclly chooses to place snack foods and soda in the same geographic area as the beer section. I noticed they moved the wine across the store where college students are less likely to look and maybe local adults are more likely to shop. All of these items are placed where they are for a reason. It not only makes it easy to remember where things are, but it also can create a higher demand for certain products.

I decided to imagine myself as a 10 year old child shopping at Dissmores and found that there was plenty of products geared towards me. I found fruit snacks with cartoon characters, fruit shaped candy, fruit flavored sugar cereal, fruit drinks like Capri Sun, and of corse popsicles and ice cream. One sticker I found stood out to me, it was about cart level in the frozen food isle. It was an advertisement for popsicles and ice cream that claimed they were homework fuel, and a great snack for after school.

Here are a few blogs I found about supermarkets and food targeted towards children.

http://bit.ly/uoQmKt

http://bit.ly/ayClR0

I have realized how painful it was for my mom taking me to the grocery store as a child. I remember trying to sneak all kinds of junk food into our cart. But what child can resist? Every kid who goes grocery shopping is bombarded by brands targeted at them. With bright colors, sugary foods, and friendly characters did I really have a choice?



I found very few food choices for young children which were actually healthy. Many snacks that are geared towards children are created to resemble fruit, giving the illusion of being good for you. Marketing to children has become an issue worth fighting against in our country. The Center For Science In The Public Interest has been one of the strongest advocats of this behavior. Check out some of their innititiaves and the second link about marketing to kids.
http://bit.ly/tfCth4

http://bit.ly/uFEGo2

In some ways we can have a say in what is on our grocery shelfs. Last year one of the Dissmores managers asked me what  he could add to their selection. I told him I was looking for a large bag of basic trail mix, that was relatively cheap. This semester I found exactly what I was looking for the year before. So in some ways people can have some say in what their supermarket sells.


For the most part consumers don't have a choice about what foods are sold at their local market. The large scale food companies, IGA, Safeway, QFC, Wallmart, Thriftway, ect decide what is on our shelves.

The illusion of supply and demand is also very real. Grocery stores don't always stock their shelves with the highest selling products they  choose what to supply, or supply what their business partners tell them to supply. Although demand dose play a role in what these stores are buying they also put things on their shelves that are not highly demanded.

#5 Consumer Freedom

Consumer Freedom

After watching the video on our blog prompt by the Center for Consumer Freedom http://bit.ly/2hovuh I was not convinced they were truly fighting for the consumer's best interest. I felt like this video was more propaganda than anything else. I was a little suprised to see them call out the Center for Science in the Public Interest http://bit.ly/e8Fl5, and PETA http://bit.ly/a55SEt. Not that I am a big supporter of either, I think it is important to research more about some of the issues before I decide where I stand.

When I researched more about the Center for Consumer Freedom I found that they call themselves "a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting personal responsibility and protecting consumer choices." Sounds good...


 The Center for Consumer Freedom makes a good point that what Americans eat should not be dictated by small groups of people. The CCF claims they were founded to counter groups which tell us how to live our lives like PETA. The CCF even claims that these organizations think we are too stupid to choose for ourselves.




But don't all of these groups have good agendas like protecting animals and fighting obeasity? I thought this was odd, and I began to realize what the CCF is all about.


I explored more about the Center for Science in the Public Interest and found that they are fighting many food related issues in our country. Including food labeling, marketing to kids, excessive salt, soft drinks, trans fats, and fast food menues. Many Americans do not think about what they are eating, rather they eat what is cheap, tasty, or convenient. 


So what would Raj Patel think about the Center for Consumer Freedoms claims? I think he would ask about who the CCF is targeting? I think they could be targeting fat white people from the middle and lower classes with little education.






Patel might also ask the CCF, dose everyone have choice or do only a select few choose what we consume? Choice is an illusion, and I think Patel would point out that the CCF is helping create this illusion. Some people think choice is Taco Bell vs. Burger King thanks to mirage artists like the CCF.




I think Patel would point out that organizations like the Center for Science in the Public Interest are not trying to control what we consume rather these groups are trying to take control away from the corporations who already dictate consumers. The majority of Americans don't even have a choice about what they eat, they only eat what they can afford and what is convenient to buy. We eat what is placed in front of us. I pick Granny Smith apples when I go grocery shopping because Guavas are not sold at Dissmores, not because I would rather have apples over Guavas.
  






When watching the video for blog #5 its hard to tell if the CCF is working in the consumer's interest because they don't mention anything about how the consumer's choices are already controlled. The CCF refuses to mention anything about how corporations control America, but rather attacks groups who are fighting against real issues in our country, like obeasity. The CCF is more about ripping off consumers and confusing them with PR bullshit than protecting our choices. The CCF is only a front, set up to benefit large corporations who get away with exploiting the world and its people.






Bottleneck corporations use their power to control both consumers and producers. Money is the carrot placed in front of our face. Along with the thought and dream that one day peasants can earn some of the wealth controlled by corporations. Corporations control their power and image with advertising, PR, and good old fashioned deception. Large corporations use Rick Berman AKA "DR. Evil" to battle activist groups. His expertise in public relations allows him to craft and bend the publics perception. Power is wielded through third parties like Berman Co. who simply lie to consumers.






This gentleman is a little "extreme" but he makes some great points about the CCF, like who pays them? http://bit.ly/sexneq





http://bit.ly/rT5xEL Here is another video I found while researching.
Read more at the center for consumer deception. http://bit.ly/aR8cHO






http://bit.ly/v0ZXfu Here is another one... "Smells like money."






Consumption can shape the market but consumers must organize and use their numbers to out weigh the few with power. Michael moore made a great comparison in his recent documentary, Capitalism A Love Story, when he said that every dollar we spend is like a vote. In a way its true, we choose which product we like more or which product is better. Boycotts can work if enough people participate. But on the other hand, some corporations control a monopoly which can negate our ability to shape the market.


Consumer freedom is a good concept. I agree with its principals but not with the CCF. I think we should have freedom to choose what we want to buy without paying extra for what we want. But at the same time massive companies in the fast food, tobacco, and alcohol industries have become rich by killing their consumers. Ethics needs to triumph profits, but it rarely dose in America. This is part of our issue with internationalism.


In America we have "sin taxes" on tobacco and alcohol and I think it is fair to tax fast food harder too. I think if we know products like these are harmful they need to be strictly regulated so people who don't know better don't ruin their lives before they learn better. It is clear that people of minority, lower social status, and with less money have less consumer freedom. The cost of consumption is poverty and everything that goes along with it including poor health care, education, employment, housing, pollution, and more. This is the cost that the peasants pays in order for the royalty of our country to prosper. Groups like the CCF are ways for our royalty to erase the damage caused by their greed and production.