Date of publication: May 4, 2007
Source: Twin Cities Daily Planet
Author: Chela Vázquez
Farmworkers talk with Victor Contreras of Centro Campesino during conference.
Farmworker organizations convened in Owatonna, MN on April 28-30 to discuss farmworker labor standards for Fair Trade food products in the United States. The conference was hosted by Centro Campesino, a Latino farmworker and community led organization based in Owatonna; and Local Fair Trade Network from Minneapolis, MN. Participating farmworker organizations were the Farmworker Support Committee (CATA, its acronym in Spanish); The Farmworker Association of Florida; the Farmwoker Pesticide Project and Community to Community, both from Washington state. Also, present were the California Rural Legal Foundation, Pesticide Action Network North America, the International Labor Rights Fund, and the Dept. of Chicano Studies from the University of Minnesota. Some farmers from the states of Minnesota and Washington joined the discussion...