Blog Post for JWM by Briana Frenchmore
Farmworker and Food Justice
November 8, 2015
Farmworker and Food Justice
November 8, 2015
Familias Unidas por la Justicia: The Spiritual Connection of the Strawberry
We know autumn has arrived when the
ubiquitous pumpkin greets us everywhere we go. It is a sign of the changing of
the seasons, inviting us to get cozy indoors and probably start making a lot of
soup! In the same way, the arrival of
strawberries signals the joys of summer picnics and time spent basking in the
sunshine. How many of us enjoyed some simply sweet strawberries that brought a
smile to our face just a couple of months ago?
Today, I’d like to
bring our attention to the intersection between the food we love to eat, farmworkers
and our connection as people of faith.
In 2013, a group of berry pickers at Sakuma Bros. Farms in
Burlington, WA in the Skagit Valley, went on strike demanding better pay and
working conditions. Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ-Families United for
Justice), an independent farm worker union (recognized by the WA State Labor
Council AFL-CIO) was formed as a
response to unattainable production standards and unjust pay, wage theft, and
hostile working and living conditions. To-date FUJ has about 400 members,
the majority of whom are from indigenous towns in southern Mexican states such
as Oaxaca.
Since 2014, Familias Unidas por la Justicia has
called for a boycott of Driscoll’s, one of the largest suppliers of berries,
and Haagen-Dazs strawberry ice cream who are purchasers of Sakuma Bros. Farms’
berries. In 2015, boycott teams from Burlington to Portland engaged Costco
and Whole Foods in efforts to stop selling products from Sakuma Bros. Farms
(these 2 companies were chosen due to their tendency to pay more attention to
issues of worker and environmental justice when sourcing their products). FUJ
continues to ask for community support in the boycott and putting pressure on
Sakuma Bros. to recognize their union.
When we look at the issue of standing with Familias Unidas
por la Justicia, we are quickly reminded of our connection to the land and our
dependence on those who labor to produce the food that sustains us. We know
that food not only nourishes us, but is an important part of our culture—who
doesn’t look forward to community gatherings where a meal is shared? And as
Christians, the ritual of remembering Jesus’ last meal with his disciples,
connects us to the land and to each other when we break bread and drink from
the cup of blessing around the communion table.
For those in the
area, I invite you to join us on Saturday, November 14th from
10am-12pm at Keystone UCC in
Seattle for a Familias Unidas por la Justicia teach-in hosted by Farmworker Ministry Northwest. Join us to be a part of the
conversation on how we as people of faith can stand and walk in solidarity with
Familias Unidas por la Justicia and other farmworkers.
¡Si se puede!
1.
Visit
Familias Unidas por la Justicia’s website. Watch these short videos:
Fruits of
Justice and Campesino.
2.
Get connected with Farmworker
Ministry Northwest to plan an educational forum at your congregation:
contact Briana Frenchmore at b.frenchmore@gmail.com
3.
Find resources from National
Farmworker Ministry such as an Overview
of FUJ and Driscoll’s Boycott
Opportunities for action
and advocacy:
1.
Commit to boycott Driscoll berries and Haggen
Daaz ice cream. Find sample letters to send to store managers where you shop, asking
them to honor the boycott. (sample
letter accessible here).
2.
Join the Farmworker Ministry Northwest
organizing and education team to plan actions to support FUJ in 2016: contact
Briana Frenchmore at b.frenchmore@gmail.com
