Growers work to prove fields SAFE for workers

Growers work to prove fields SAFE for workers
Palm Beach Post Editorial

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Farmworkers and consumers can't depend on the state to ensure that growers are following the law, so it makes sense for the industry to take credible steps to inspect and certify itself.

An industry group called Socially Accountable Farm Employers (SAFE) wants to use Intertek, a London-based auditing company with laboratories in Jacksonville and Tampa, to inspect farms for violations and recommend procedural changes that will keep growers in compliance with state and federal laws. A Bradenton farmer last week became the state's first tomato grower to complete and pass an Intertek audit. The payoff is a SAFE seal of approval that tells the public the farmer is committed to playing by the rules. Done right, the endorsement could alert corporate buyers and consumers that the produce on the shelf came from a conscientious grower — much in the same way that a dolphin-safe seal certifies cans of tuna.

Farmworker advocates have decades of systemic abuses in the fields to cite as grounds for suspicion. Since the grower pays for the Intertek audit, there's reason to worry about a biased outcome. But SAFE has gotten off to a commendable start by seeking input from migrant groups and involving them in decision-making. Three seats on SAFE's governing board are filled by representatives of farmworker advocates: The Redlands Christian Migrant Association, which provides education and family services in 20 counties; the Everglades Community Association, which builds housing for the poor; and MUJER, which assists Hispanic women and their families.

Barbara Mainster, Redlands' executive director, says advocates on the board will have the latitude to accompany Intertek inspectors and approve their reports. Transparency is essential to building confidence that the program is committed to protecting workers and is not a vehicle for self-serving promotions. Florida growers don't have to be motivated by altruism to participate in SAFE. A social conscience can be good for business. Enlightened consumers — and there are many of them — will reward producers who follow the law and a code of ethics. A state that has fewer than 40 inspectors to monitor the entire agriculture industry isn't capable of certifying anything.

Ms. Mainster has assisted migrant workers for 33 years without seeing many reforms. She is optimistic about SAFE's chances for improving conditions in the fields. "It's a beginning, a baby step," she said, "that can make a real difference for workers."