A good friend sent me Barry Estabrook’s article from Gourmet Magazine “Politics of the Plate: The Price of Tomatoes – If you have eaten a tomato this winter, chances are very good that it was picked by a person who lives in virtual slavery.”
I am not sure anyone can read the article and not feel saddened by the abuse these workers take to put tomatoes on our plate. Me, I have a special thought for the workers. See, 35 years ago I left home for a very long summer and worked as a farm worker in the fields and orchards of Eastern Washington. I still cannot stand to eat cherries, apples or peaches. Clearly, I always had the option – which I took – to go back to a much different and easier life.
Have we ever thought we should simply pay a bit more for the food on our tables? Perhaps eating cheap food not only allows – perhaps encourages the “virtual slavery”- but also forces businesses to cut corners on food safety.
Food for thought.