Earlier this afternoon, Chipotle reached an agreement with East Coast Farms, one of Florida's largest tomato growers, to pay an extra penny per pound of tomatoes harvested. Farm workers who pick tomatoes for Chipotle will see their pay go from $.50 for a 32-pound bucket, to $.82 for each 32-pound bucket of tomatoes they pick. This 64 percent increase comes after months of discussion between Chipotle and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a community-based organization that has led a campaign to improve wages and working conditions for Florida farm workers.
“We have a decade-long track record of working to improve the nation’s food supply system,” said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle. “Our efforts have always been rooted in doing the right things, and in finding solutions that have a real impact. By working directly with East Coast Farms to improve wages and working conditions for workers who harvest tomatoes for Chipotle, we have taken another important step forward.”
Ells continues, “This agreement will make a difference in the lives of workers who pick tomatoes for Chipotle. But our commitment goes well beyond this. We are constantly looking at all of the ingredients we use, and how we can use our purchasing power to improve conditions for farm workers, raise animal welfare standards, and minimize environmental impacts. These choices come at a price, giving Chipotle the highest food costs in the industry. But we continue to think it is the right way to run our business. It’s how we are changing the way people think about and eat fast food.”
More from PR Newswire. Earlier this afternoon, Chipotle reached an agreement with East Coast Farms, one of Florida's largest tomato growers, to pay an extra penny per pound of tomatoes harvested. Farm workers who pick tomatoes for Chipotle will see their pay go from $.50 for a 32-pound bucket, to $.82 for each 32-pound bucket of tomatoes they pick. This 64 percent increase comes after months of discussion between Chipotle and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a community-based organization that has led a campaign to improve wages and working conditions for Florida farm workers.
“We have a decade-long track record of working to improve the nation’s food supply system,” said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle. “Our efforts have always been rooted in doing the right things, and in finding solutions that have a real impact. By working directly with East Coast Farms to improve wages and working conditions for workers who harvest tomatoes for Chipotle, we have taken another important step forward.”
Ells continues, “This agreement will make a difference in the lives of workers who pick tomatoes for Chipotle. But our commitment goes well beyond this. We are constantly looking at all of the ingredients we use, and how we can use our purchasing power to improve conditions for farm workers, raise animal welfare standards, and minimize environmental impacts. These choices come at a price, giving Chipotle the highest food costs in the industry. But we continue to think it is the right way to run our business. It’s how we are changing the way people think about and eat fast food.”
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