Organic Grapes of Wrath


There's been a discernable effort among many on the left to play Wal Mart as the great mercantile satan.  They bully suppliers, buy from Sino sweatshops, push the mom and pops into early retirement, market to the poor and are unfriendly to labor.

But is appears the organic food industry, with projected sales of  $15 billion this year, might as well be putting those blue smocks on their own workers.  A recent study <a href="http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/newsltr/v17n1/sa-1.htm">study</a> published by the University of California reveals the truth behind the ambience of the do-good consumerism among the unflappably self-righteous and wealthy. The same folks most likely to throw a fit of moral indignation, and perhaps a few genetically modified tomatoes, at anything considered to be too reasonably priced or available. <p>

As an aside, readers should know there is absolutely no evidence that organic foods are healthier to eat. In fact E. coli contamination, as a result of the heavy use of livestock manure, is a real consequence of  "organic" crops. I say "organic" with quotes because the term has no universally accepted  definition thus paving the way for deceptive labeling e.g, <a href="http://www.stoplabelinglies.com/complaints/nydairy.html">hormone free milk</A> (all milk has hormones). Consumers in the UK are being duped as well. (If you buy 'organic produce', can you trust what you get?; 8/21/05).  Back to the UC study.<p>

But organic farming is more than just sustainable agriculture.  It is about fairness, equality, respect for both nature and those laboring in it.  Profit, a happy consequence not to be ignored, but certainly not the inspiration.  Organic farm owners are capitalists with with a little "c".  Isn't this what there marketing tells us?  The truth is, it's all about marketing.  Consider the following:
<p><li>800,000 farmworkers are hired each year in California by 35,000 employers.  Wal Mart has 44,000 employees in California. 
<li>The average California farmhand annually earns $7000-$8000.  His counterpart at Wal-Mart at makes $9.70/hour.  
<li>Only 19% of organic farmhands have some type of health insurance compared to 90% at Wal-Mart.	<p>
<li>Overtime only after 60 hours/week
<li>Exposure to agrochemicals
<li>High levels of depression
<p> * Wal-Mart data. UC Berkeley Institute for Industrial Relations, 2004. <p>
What do the growers say?
<p>
<li>Should farmhands have colletive bargaining rights? Only 32% agree or strongly agree.
<li>How about a living wage? 47% agree or strongly agree.
<li>Insurance?  25% agree or strongly agree.
<li>Paid sick leave? 39% agree or strongly agree.
<li>Paid vacation? 24% agree or strongly agree.
<p>
So the next time you bite into that $3 apricot, consider that your social responsibility would have been better placed buying a Fruit Rollup at Wal-Mart.