WASHINGTON - Where would we be without the farmers and growers that work diligently every day to bring the freshest produce possible to our stores? In a real pickle, that’s for sure. This month, Equitable Food Initiative (EFI), the workforce development and training organization that partners with growers, farmworkers, retailers, and consumer advocacy groups, is marking National Farmworker Awareness Week by encouraging growers and consumers to share messages honoring the farmworkers that make it possible for Americans to have access to high-quality, fresh, and safe fruits and vegetables.
“Consumers want to know more about where their food comes from, and National Farmworker Awareness Week provides a great vehicle for growers to highlight the hard work it takes to stock fresh produce departments across the country,” stated LeAnne Ruzzamenti, Director of Marketing Communications for EFI. “And beyond this designated week, growers can provide the transparency consumers seek by highlighting the people, processes, and safety measures required to produce a safe, quality product."
According to the press release, National Farmworker Awareness Week is a designated week of action for communities to bring attention to the multiple challenges farmworkers face as well as to honor the important contributions farmworkers make to daily life. This year, the week will be celebrated on March 25-31, 2020.
“At EFI, it is our aim to honor and highlight the hard work farmworkers accomplish daily and to raise the standards to create healthier, safer working conditions,” continued Ruzzamenti. “It is in everyone’s best interest that growers develop comprehensive training programs and provide safe conditions for farmworkers, as in the end, high-quality produce comes from workers who are treated well and are trained to meet the highest safety standards.”
EFI and its partners will use National Farmworker Awareness Week to further EFI’s mission to create a more transparent food chain, safer food, and healthier places to work for the men and women who produce, care for, and harvest fresh fruits and vegetables. EFI also encourages growers and consumers to recognize the contributions of workers via social media posts using #FarmworkerAssured and #FarmworkerAwareness.
As we celebrate fresh fruits and vegetables, honor the hard work that was put in to produce them, and prepare for this upcoming weeklong celebration—stay up-to-date with AndNowUKnow as we bring more celebratory news.
