Equitable Food Initiative, the workforce development and certification organization that partners with growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumer advocacy groups, is celebrating National Farmworker Awareness Week. To celebrate the week, it’s encouraging growers, agricultural associations and consumers to share messages honoring the farmworkers that make it possible for Americans to have access to high-quality, fresh and safer fruits and vegetables, particularly in light of the pandemic.
National Farmworker Awareness Week is a designated week of action for communities to bring attention to the multiple challenges farmworkers face and honor their important and #AlwaysEssential contributions to the food supply chain. This commemorative week is observed March 25-31 and everyone in the supply chain can get involved by sharing the key messages and graphics provided in EFI’s free communications toolkit.
This past year has helped the world shine a light on the people of many essential industries, including agriculture. Now consumers have taken an interest in where their food comes from and the people who help get it from farm to table.
EFI's communication toolkit includes messages like these to download and use on social media channels, websites and company newsletters.
Rather than forget this important recognition as the end of the pandemic nears, EFI is encouraging industry members and consumers alike to speak as one voice and continue to amplify the message that farmworkers are #AlwaysEssential.
Industry members (both EFI-certified operations and not) members and non-members) can join Equitable Food Initiative in promoting National Farmworker Awareness Week by downloading the communications toolkit, which includes ready-to-use graphics, logos, hashtags and messages. Agricultural and food industry members are encouraged to create their own graphics, as well as promote their organization, business or industry and tell their unique story.
“One positive thing to come out of the pandemic is that farmworkers are recognized as essential. But this is by no means a new concept,” said LeAnne Ruzzamenti, director of marketing communications for EFI. “They have always played a vital role in the food supply chain, and are the root of the supply chain, ensuring the availability, quality and safety of our food. They should be celebrated every day and those of us working in the food system need to ensure they have safe, healthy and respectful working conditions.”
Farmworkers are essential to getting fresh and healthy food on supermarket shelves. Consumers don’t see them, but farmworkers grow, harvest, process and pack fresh food for stores daily. Nearly 2.5 million farmworkers are on farms and ranches throughout the United Sates, performing hard and skilled labor. It is estimated there are 425,000 farmworkers working in the fresh produce industry alone.
For more information on National Farmworker Awareness Week, visit here.
For more information:
LeAnne R. Ruzzamenti
Equitable Food Initiative
Tel: +1 (202) 524-0540
leanne@equitablefood.org
www.equitablefood.org/farms