Today, a Sophomore, Amanda, stood with the student farmworkers alliance presenting information to interested passerby’s on the oval, providing a description of their cause and why they thought it was important.The issue here is one of worker livelihood and sustainability vs. effective business models- one especially prevalent in free-market capitalisms such as our own.
The movement seeks, according to its website- to convince large restaurant chains to pay 1 cent more per pound of tomatoes. A change that would fund massive improvements in the lives of the florida farmers responsible for those products.
What makes this instance unique is that Wendy’s is interestingly the sole holdout among major fast food chains. According to the fair food program, the companies Subway, Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Burger King, and more have all signed on to the change.
At the end of the day- reforms like this are necessary to continue normal economic development and socioeconomic stability in a developed country. While the change may be a hard pill to swallow for fast food, it is a necessary one, as will be other similar reforms to come.