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The Final Days Of Hawaiian Sugar

The Final Days Of Hawaiian Sugar | Human Interest | Scoop.it
From www.npr.org - December 27, 2016 11:24 PM
The sugar industry in Hawaii dominated the state's economy for over a century. But it has shrunk in recent years. Now, the last of the state's sugar mills has wrapped up its final harvest.

Via Ben Salve
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French scallops cleaned in China then sent back

French scallops cleaned in China then sent back | Human Interest | Scoop.it
From www.thelocal.fr - December 30, 2014 2:14 PM
Scallops pulled out of the waters off the western coast of France are taken on an incredible journey that sees them shipped off to China to be cleaned, before being sent all the way back to France to be cooked up. Producers say its worth the cost.
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Louis Mazza's curator insight, January 22, 2015 6:50 PM

this is crazy
Kristin Mandsager San Bento's curator insight, January 22, 2015 7:03 PM

This makes absolutely no sense to me.  How does the freshness of the scallop even last a trip like this?  What is the transportation time back and forth? 
BrianCaldwell7's curator insight, March 16, 2016 3:40 PM

This type of nonsense only makes sense in a world where the bottom dollar is the only way to way to evaluate decisions.  However, resource conservation (think of the food miles!), fair labor prices, and the preservation of local cultural economies are certainly issues that should be considered. 

 

 

Tags:  food, economic, labor, globalization, food production, agribusiness, agriculture.
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Product of Mexico: Hardship on Mexico's farms, a bounty for U.S. tables

Product of Mexico: Hardship on Mexico's farms, a bounty for U.S. tables | Human Interest | Scoop.it
From graphics.latimes.com - September 26, 2015 1:54 AM

"Farm exports to the U.S. from Mexico have tripled to $7.6 billion in the last decade, enriching agribusinesses, distributors and retailers.
American consumers get all the salsa, squash and melons they can eat at affordable prices. And top U.S. brands — Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, Subway and Safeway, among many others — profit from produce they have come to depend on.These corporations say their Mexican suppliers have committed to decent treatment and living conditions for workers.  But a Los Angeles Times investigation found that for thousands of farm laborers south of the border, the export boom is a story of exploitation and extreme hardship."

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BrianCaldwell7's curator insight, March 16, 2016 3:24 PM

This is a hard read, but it is important to understand that there is a dark underbelly to many of the economic systems that are reshaping the world today.  Sometimes we ask all the wrong questions, like "why is organic, local, or fair trade food so expensive?"  We should really be asking why the other options are so cheap. 

 

This, unfortunately is part of the answer.  This is a 4-part series (I-camps, II-labor, III-Company Stores, IV-Child Labor) from the LA Times that has excellent pictures, videos, and interviews highlighting the working conditions of farm workers in Mexico.  For an audio version, here is an NPR podcast interviewing Richard Marosi, the investigator behind the story.    

 

Tags:  food, economic, labor, globalization, food production, agribusiness, agriculture, unit 5 agriculture, indigenous.
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Product of Mexico - Harsh Harvest

From www.youtube.com - December 11, 2014 3:57 PM

"Farm exports to the U.S. from Mexico have tripled to $7.6 billion in the last decade, enriching agribusinesses, distributors and retailers.
American consumers get all the salsa, squash and melons they can eat at affordable prices. And top U.S. brands — Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, Subway and Safeway, among many others — profit from produce they have come to depend on.These corporations say their Mexican suppliers have committed to decent treatment and living conditions for workers.  But a Los Angeles Times investigation found that for thousands of farm laborers south of the border, the export boom is a story of exploitation and extreme hardship."

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Todd Scalia's curator insight, December 14, 2014 1:12 AM

we work the fields for our families. 
Jake Red Dorman's curator insight, December 17, 2014 11:36 AM

It’s crazy to see how desperate some of these people are to get working and how much they do for such a little reward. These people are working longer and harder than probably all Americans and they are barely surviving. They work for survival. It’s hard for some of these people to stay healthy, especially in the harsh conditions and tight living spaces that these people have to deal with on an everyday basis. 
Brian Wilk's curator insight, March 22, 2015 2:10 PM

Corporations are always looking for the cheapest base product to import. Unfortunately for the laborers of Mexico, their country does not enforce globally accepted standards of labor. The US cannot police other countries' policies and procedures, but we can educate our own consumers about the working conditions behind the product they buy. The consumers then have a choice; do they want to pay 49 cents a pound for bananas or 99 cents. What is more important, the health and welfare of the employee who picked the produce or the financial well-being of the consumer who purchases it?

This obviously is big business for Mexico and the US should apply some pressure to motivate our friends south of the border to foster better working conditions for their employees. It would seem to me that Mexico could afford to pay their workers a little more and still be competitive given their proximity to the US. I think I will start buying my bananas from Ecuador....

 
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