Participant Leverages 'Cesar Chavez' for Sustainable-Food Campaign

21 Jul, 2014 By: Chris Tribbey

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For the July 22 disc and digital release of Cesar Chavez, production house Participant Media and the Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) are launching a new food label trust-mark, one that certifies produce is “responsibly grown and farmworker assured,” and helps grocery shoppers identify equitably-sourced food.

When Cesar Chavez first arrived in theaters, Participant used interest in the film to gather more than 30,000 signatures on TakePart.com in support of EFI’s efforts to provide training and fair wages to farmworkers and implement safe food practices.

“Just as Cesar Chavez raised awareness of the conditions of farmworkers by organizing a boycott that millions of Americans supported, we believe that consumers today can advance Chavez’s groundbreaking achievements by supporting the concept of equitable food,” said Chad Boettcher, Participant’s EVP of social action and advocacy. “We are proud to join forces with EFI on this natural extension of Chavez’s work.”

The consumer-facing trust-mark is expected to appear on produce in stores within a few months, with a growing number of farms participating. EFI surveyed people who signed the TakePart.com petition for feedback on various versions.

“What we especially like about the tagline is that it captures how many people are engaged in making food safe and workplaces decent. Growers, farmworkers, retailers, and consumers all play a role,” said Peter O’Driscoll, project director of EFI. “We hope this new label will enable consumers to find ‘equitable food’ in their retail outlets, and to use their purchasing power to encourage growers and retailers to join the effort to make our food system safer and fairer for all of us.”

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