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| Collaboration to Improve Conditions for Florida Tomato Workers |
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At McDonald's, we are committed to extending socially responsible practices throughout our supply chain. Our long-standing Code of Conduct for Suppliers establishes expectations for fair, safe, healthful working conditions in our suppliers' facilities worldwide. We continuously work with our suppliers to ensure compliance and continuous improvement.
Building on this commitment, we have been intensively engaged in improving working conditions for Florida's tomato workers. This has been a collaborative effort involving our direct suppliers, growers, various produce associations, and advocacy groups, including the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). The effort has produced significant results. |
| New Agreement with CIW and McDonald's Produce Suppliers |
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On April 9, 2007, we joined with CIW and our produce suppliers to announce another major step forward toward the goals we all share. Specifically, we have all agreed to specific plans to work together to address wages and working conditions for the farm workers who pick Florida tomatoes. Under this agreement: |
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- McDonald’s USA, through its produce suppliers, will pay an additional penny per pound for Florida round tomatoes supplied to its U.S. restaurants. The increase will begin with the 2007 growing season. Our suppliers will establish a way for the additional penny per pound to be paid to the farm workers.
- CIW and our produce suppliers will work together to develop a new code of conduct for Florida tomato growers. This code of conduct will build on the tomato grower standards we and our suppliers established in 2006.
- CIW and our produce suppliers will also collaborate on increasing farm worker participation in monitoring supplier compliance, investigating worker complaints, and resolving disputes.
- In addition, CIW and our produce suppliers will work together toward developing and implementing a credible third-party verification system—one that could be expanded to include other willing members of the foodservice and retail food industry that buy Florida tomatoes.
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Former U.S. President and founder of the Carter Center, Jimmy Carter, has hailed the agreement as "a welcome example of positive industry leadership" and a demonstration of both "McDonald's leadership in social responsibility and CIW's importance as a voice for farm worker rights.“
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| Previous Leadership Initiatives to Improve Conditions for Florida Tomato Workers |
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The new agreement is the latest step in a series of collaborative initiatives to improve working and living conditions for Florida's tomato workers. |
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- In 2005, the Florida Fruit and Vegetables Association (FFVA) launched industry-wide worker protections—the Socially Accountable Farm Employers (SAFE) program. SAFE establishes standards and an external verification program to ensure that participating growers provide lawful wages and workplace safety protections and that workers are aware of their rights. We actively support this program and have committed to purchasing tomatoes from suppliers that participate in it.
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- In 2006, we and our suppliers instituted industry-leading grower standards that go beyond the SAFE standards. Under our grower standards, Florida tomato growers that supply the McDonald's System must hire workers as employees, rather than day laborers, provide them with opportunities to raise issues and offer suggestions, and ensure they have access to safe, affordable housing (where available) and local health screening and counseling services. Compliance with these standards must be verified by reputable third parties.
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| Although we purchase only 1.5% of Florida's tomatoes annually, we hope these initiatives and the new plans announced will drive change throughout the industry. We know that more can be done, and we are deeply committed to collaboration and continuous improvement in this area, as in all our corporate social responsibility efforts. |
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