Big News: Walmart Joins CIW Fair Food Program! More Pressure Mounts on Publix

WATCH: The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) ended their 6 day Fast for Fair Food on March 10, 2012 at Publix HQ in Lakeland, FL. I was honored to be there for this inspirational action.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers announced major breaking news yesterday: Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is putting unprecedented market power behind CIW’s groundbreaking Fair Food Program. As part of the historic agreement, Walmart will work with the CIW to expand the Fair Food Program beyond Florida and into “other crops beyond tomatoes in its produce supply chain.”

Now, the pressure turns back to Publix. Publix refuses to join the Fair Food Program.

So what does the Walmart agreement really mean?

First, CIW says yesterday’s agreement brings immediate and concrete benefits to tens of thousands of farmworkers in the Florida tomato industry. According to the CIW, roughly 30,000 workers will benefit directly from this agreement.

Second, this new agreement demonstrates the power of the Fair Food Program to improve the lives of many, many more workers beyond Florida and beyond tomatoes. With its unique standards and multiple mechanisms to monitor and enforce those standards, the Fair Food Program is fast becoming a model and possible solution to longstanding exploitation beyond the FFP’s current field of operation. Even the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights says the Fair Food Program “offers promise for us all,” is “eager to see whether Fair Food Program is able to… serve as a model elsewhere in the world.”

And finally, this agreement begs one very simple question: What now, Publix? How can Publix even try to justify its refusal to join the Fair Food Program after even Walmart has joined?

For more than four years, Publix has made excuses attempting to justify their refusal to join the program. Despite all the profits for Publix, the company still will not do the right thing.

Now, it is time for Publix to do the right thing.