Chipotle Reaches Agreement with Florida Tomato Grower to Improve Wages for Farm Workers
09 Septiembre 2009 - 3:40PM
Business Wire
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) (NYSE: CMG.B), the chain of
burrito restaurants known for serving Food With Integrity,
announced that it has reached an agreement with East Coast Farms,
one of Florida’s largest tomato growers, under which workers who
harvest tomatoes for Chipotle will receive an additional penny per
pound, a wage increase of 64 percent, for tomatoes picked for
Chipotle.
The agreement between Chipotle and East Coast Farms comes
following months of discussion between Chipotle and the Coalition
of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a community-based organization that has
led a campaign to improve wages and working conditions for Florida
farm workers.
Similar agreements between other large tomato buyers, like
Chipotle, and the CIW have been blocked by a Florida tomato
industry cooperative. Under most of those agreements, money
earmarked for farm workers is accumulating in escrow accounts
rather than reaching the farm workers for whom it is intended. By
working directly with East Coast Farms, Chipotle will be able to
pass the additional wages directly to the workers.
“We have a decade-long track record of working to improve the
nation’s food supply system,” said Steve Ells, founder, chairman
and co-CEO of Chipotle. “Our efforts have always been rooted in
doing the right things, and in finding solutions that have a real
impact. By working directly with East Coast Farms to improve wages
and working conditions for workers who harvest tomatoes for
Chipotle, we have taken another important step forward.”
Chipotle conducted an extensive review of growers to find one
that was willing to do the right thing for workers. East Coast
Farms, a leader in the industry, demonstrated a willingness to work
with Chipotle to do what is right for their workers from the
beginning.
“Chipotle has been a leader in driving change in the nation’s
food supply,” said Batiste Madonia, sales manager with East Coast
Farms. “When their representatives came to us to negotiate this
agreement, we agreed that it was the right thing to do. With this
framework in place, we hope to work with other companies that are
looking to make similar improvements to wages and working
conditions for Florida farm workers.”
Under the agreement with East Coast Farms, farm workers who pick
tomatoes for Chipotle will see their pay go from $.50 for a
32-pound bucket, to $.82 for each 32-pound bucket of tomatoes they
pick. That translates to a 64 percent increase for all of the
tomatoes they pick for Chipotle.
“This agreement will make a difference in the lives of workers
who pick tomatoes for Chipotle,” said Ells. “But our commitment
goes well beyond this. We are constantly looking at all of the
ingredients we use, and how we can use our purchasing power to
improve conditions for farm workers, raise animal welfare
standards, and minimize environmental impacts. These choices come
at a price, giving Chipotle the highest food costs in the industry.
But we continue to think it is the right way to run our business.
It’s how we are changing the way people think about and eat fast
food.”
Chipotle calls its commitment to find ingredients from more
sustainable sources “Food With Integrity.” This commitment has led
the company to serve more naturally raised meat (from animals
raised in a humane way, never given antibiotics or added hormones,
and fed a pure vegetarian diet) than any other restaurant company,
use cheese and sour cream that is made with milk from cows that are
not treated with the synthetic hormone rBGH, and to serve
increasing amounts of organic or locally grown produce.
About Chipotle
Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with
the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast
food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu
of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla)
and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared
using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive
atmosphere. Through our vision of Food with Integrity, Chipotle is
seeking better food not only from using fresh ingredients, but
ingredients that are sustainably grown and naturally raised with
respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the
food. Chipotle opened its first restaurant in 1993 and currently
operates nearly 900 restaurants. For more information, visit
Chipotle.com.
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