After more than 25 film festival screenings, Driscoll’s documentary, The Last Harvest, aims to invoke discussions around labor shortage and immigration reform through a grassroots strategy of partaking in high-profile community-led forums. This month, the documentary is set to screen at the PMA Fresh Summit as part of the Expo’s first Experience Extension with Films. Attendees can join a discussion around labor on Thursday, October 17th at 9 AM in Room 213B, Level 3, ACC. The panel will include Driscoll’s Soren Bjorn, President of the Americas.
The Last Harvest was produced by Driscoll’s in partnership with studio Farm League. The documentary offers an opportunity to hear the hopes, hardships and a sense of life-purpose in harvesting berries from three independent family growers. The documentary explores the issues contributing to agriculture’s labor shortage and proposes possible solutions to overcoming these challenges.
Within the film, Driscoll’s CEO and Chairman J. Miles Reiter sheds some light on one of agriculture’s largest problems, which the company says is largely unknown to the average consumer. A dedicated website, www.thelastharvestfilm.com, is updated with upcoming film festival screenings and facts and figures around the topic of labor.
“The Last Harvest is just one small part of our journey to demonstrate our commitment to enrich the lives of everyone we touch across our farming communities,” said Soren Bjorn, President of the Americas at Driscoll’s. “As one of the few brands in a typically commodity-driven agriculture industry, we have the unique opportunity to advance topics, themes and challenges that are otherwise invisible to most consumers. In many cases, strategic collaborations across public and private sectors are needed to improve these larger industry challenges. We support solving systemic issues at a legislative and policy level and continues to be active in timely discussions.”
Earlier this month, Driscoll’s announced joining the Corporate Roundtable for the New American Workforce. Through the National Immigration Forum, the program aims to provide resources designed for immigrant workers.
“As a company whose network represents over 50 percent of foreign-born workers, it is our responsibility to stand in solidarity with immigrants that contribute so much to our company’s success,” said Soren Bjorn, president of Driscoll’s of the Americas. “We join other companies and industries in the Corporate Roundtable to collaborate on ways to best welcome and support a diverse workforce into our country.”
For more information:
www.driscolls.com/onefamily