RESOLUTION
19th Constitutional Convention of the
United Farm Worker of America
May 18 – 20, 2012
Bakersfield, California
Presented by the Union Executive Board of the United Farm Workers
BUILDING A GLOBAL MOVEMENT FOR SAFER FOOD
WHEREAS, farm workers, we know what it takes to produce safer food; our history has shown when we protect ourselves, we also protect consumers; and
WHEREAS, in the 1970s, we successfully banned the use of the dangerous pesticide DDT through our contracts; and
WHEREAS, earlier this year, we successfully mobilized workers and consumers and forced the manufacturer of methyl iodide, one of the most toxic pesticides introduced to agriculture, to pull their product off the market; and
WHEREAS, we know that with more knowledge of the different factors that cause e coli and other bacteria that can harm consumers who eat the produce, we play a key role to educate the agriculture industry to ensure a safe food supply for all; and
WHEREAS, Workers from around the world have come to the United States to work in the fields and picked the crops that have fed this nation, and has been exported to countries around the world, putting safe food on the table in countless different countries; and
WHEREAS, today, many of these same growers are now either growing crops in other countries or part of global networks, resulting in more than half of the food we consume in the US being imported.
THEREFORE, The UFW developed extensive partnerships with all stakeholders in the food industry; and
THEREFORE, be it further resolved that the UFW must become a global organization that ensures a safe and just food supply worldwide