| Pages:
1
2 |
mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 19239
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by DENNIS  |
There is a "simple" answer. Government gets out of growers pockets and mandates, for real, a living wage structure that is guaranteed for field
hands, jorneleros.
Why would growers object? The consumer pays for everything....everything.
Raise the wages....raise the price to US importers who in turn raise the price to consumers who will pay whatever required to have the product.
Sales will drop somewhat, but so will the need for labor to supply the product. It balances.
Look at what happened with tobacco products. |
In this modern world we have the means to provide a living wage for all. Not much excuse in a modern country to accept continued existence of
poverty. The only thing stopping humanism is human greed.
|
|
|
JoeJustJoe
Banned
Posts: 21045
Registered: 9-9-2010
Location: Occupied Aztlan
Member Is Offline
Mood: Mad as hell
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by Bajahowodd | As I posted way back, owing to NAFTA so many Mexican workers do not have to face the life threatening process of trying to cross the border to work
in the fields NOB for minimum wage at best, without any benefits. So is poverty in Mexico for these field laborers any worse than poverty in the US?
I support the efforts of these people to obtain better conditions. But unless and until the big companies NOB and SOB feel some sort of pain, nothing
will change.
I don't care if you shop at Stater Bros, Ralphs, Albertsons or any other major chain. Fact is that their buyers always look for the lowest prices.
I do not have an answer short of asking folks to boycott all produce with a product of Mexico on the label.
But that would just put so many poor people out of work.
See what I mean? No simple answer. |
Bajahowodd, I think you have it backward, NAFTA didn't keep Mexicans from immigrating to the US, on the contrary NAFTA and the great Satan, the USA
put millions of Mexican farmers out of work, because of heavily subsidized US corn and other staples poured into Mexico, leaving the Mexican farmer
unable to make a living.
This in turn caused a few million Mexicans to immigrate into the US with or without papers, and the ones who didn't immigrate to the US turned to
other lucrative farming like growing plants for the Mexican cartels. In the meantime prices for basic foods went up in Mexico, leaving most Mexicans
in poverty, except the rich and powerful in Mexico that are mostly white-skinned Mexicans.
Instead of trying to blame only Mexican politicians who are merely puppet for big business in Mexico. US politicians are also puppets for big business
in the US, but accept bribes legally in the form of political contributions, and Mexican politicians get their palms greased with illegal bribes.
So I believe Big business in the US like, Walmart, Stater Bros, Kroger, Whole foods, etc.......are as guilty as big agribusinesses like Driscoll,
based in California, but has contracts with well connected Mexican growers like BerryMex in places like San Quintin, Mexico. All these companies have
government officials from both side of the border pulling strings for them.
Since agriculture is a 7 billion dollar or more industry in Baja, and the vast majority of products over 90% coming into the USA. Many believe US
Big Business has at the very least a social responsibility to demand employees working for the growers in Mexico are treated fairly and make a
livable wage.
I'm not sure if a boycott will work, because buyers will still go to the supermarket, and will ignore the boycott. However, if the farm employees go
on strike, they could really hurt the growers, but most would have to participate.
Now a revolution in Mexico might just work in Mexico, and even here in the USA, the people are getting relentless and want change.
|
|
|
Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by JoeJustJoe | | Quote: Originally posted by Bajahowodd | As I posted way back, owing to NAFTA so many Mexican workers do not have to face the life threatening process of trying to cross the border to work
in the fields NOB for minimum wage at best, without any benefits. So is poverty in Mexico for these field laborers any worse than poverty in the US?
I support the efforts of these people to obtain better conditions. But unless and until the big companies NOB and SOB feel some sort of pain, nothing
will change.
I don't care if you shop at Stater Bros, Ralphs, Albertsons or any other major chain. Fact is that their buyers always look for the lowest prices.
I do not have an answer short of asking folks to boycott all produce with a product of Mexico on the label.
But that would just put so many poor people out of work.
See what I mean? No simple answer. |
Bajahowodd, I think you have it backward, NAFTA didn't keep Mexicans from immigrating to the US, on the contrary NAFTA and the great Satan, the USA
put millions of Mexican farmers out of work, because of heavily subsidized US corn and other staples poured into Mexico, leaving the Mexican farmer
unable to make a living.
This in turn caused a few million Mexicans to immigrate into the US with or without papers, and the ones who didn't immigrate to the US turned to
other lucrative farming like growing plants for the Mexican cartels. In the meantime prices for basic foods went up in Mexico, leaving most Mexicans
in poverty, except the rich and powerful in Mexico that are mostly white-skinned Mexicans.
Instead of trying to blame only Mexican politicians who are merely puppet for big business in Mexico. US politicians are also puppets for big business
in the US, but accept bribes legally in the form of political contributions, and Mexican politicians get their palms greased with illegal bribes.
So I believe Big business in the US like, Walmart, Stater Bros, Kroger, Whole foods, etc.......are as guilty as big agribusinesses like Driscoll,
based in California, but has contracts with well connected Mexican growers like BerryMex in places like San Quintin, Mexico. All these companies have
government officials from both side of the border pulling strings for them.
Since agriculture is a 7 billion dollar or more industry in Baja, and the vast majority of products over 90% coming into the USA. Many believe US
Big Business has at the very least a social responsibility to demand employees working for the growers in Mexico are treated fairly and make a
livable wage.
I'm not sure if a boycott will work, because buyers will still go to the supermarket, and will ignore the boycott. However, if the farm employees go
on strike, they could really hurt the growers, but most would have to participate.
Now a revolution in Mexico might just work in Mexico, and even here in the USA, the people are getting relentless and want change.
|
Very interesting, but I'm not certain that I can agree with you on much of what you stated.
|
|
|
BigBearRider
Super Nomad
Posts: 1299
Registered: 4-30-2015
Location: Big Bear, Punta Chivato, and Cabo
Member Is Offline
Mood: 
|
|
There is a movie on Netflix called "Food Chains" that explores a similar dynamic in the U.S. There, the blame is put at the feet of Wal-Mart, Publix,
and similar super markets.
|
|
|
| Pages:
1
2 |
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
