The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is asking retailers to pay an additional penny per pound of tomatoes. The Florida-based group said the money could help improve conditions of nearly 5,000 workers employed by large agricultural operations in the tomato and citrus industries.
"Large retailers buy millions of pounds of tomatoes annually and are able to leverage their buying power which puts suppliers with increasing costs, in a financial squeeze," said Phil Lempert, founder of Food Nutrition & Science and CEO of The Lempert Report and SupermarketGuru.com. "I applaud these retailers who are concerned about the human condition and are willing to help."
