What Is Slow Food > Slow Food USA Blog > The Harvest: Child Labor on US Farms
The Slow Food USA Blog
The Harvest: Child Labor on US Farms
Posted on Fri, July 29, 2011 by Intern
6 Comments | Categories: Farms and Farming, Film/TV/Radio, Food Justice,
Print this Page
Send to a Friend
by interns Kelsey Wickel and Sasha Hippard
The Harvest/La Cosecha, a new film by Robert Romano, tells the story of three children, ranging from 12 to 16, who migrate seasonally with their families in order to harvest fruits and vegetables. Over the summer, these migrant children and their families travel throughout the country, from Florida to Michigan, finding work picking the produce that we eat.
Child labor in the conventional agricultural system has remained the exception to the already established child labor laws. Throughout the film, we experience the harvest through the children’s eyes as they work 10 or more hours a day, seven days a week. The cruel irony is, while almost 400,000 children work in American produce fields every year, in hot, back-breaking conditions, those same children and their families are unable to afford the very food that they harvest. Each child only makes roughly $60 a week during the harvest season (assuming they can find work at all). In the fields, there is little to no protection against constant exposure to the harsh temperatures or the pesticides which are used liberally in conventional agriculture and often while the harvesters are present.
The Harvest sheds light on the seldom discussed issue of child labor in U.S. conventional agriculture. While the film does not site specific action that the viewers may take to stop or prevent these labor practices, during the post-screening Q&A, the film’s director supported the DREAM Act as one avenue to help migrant workers and their families. Similarly, the New York Times reported last year that the Obama Administration had begun a campaign against farmers who use child labor and underpay their workers (read the article here).
For more information on the issue of child agricultural labor in general, the MSNBC piece from last year entitled America Now: Children of the Harvest is a good resource. The film’s facebook page also links related articles.
The film premieres in New York on July 29, 2011 at Quad Cinema...and hopefully at other theatres around the country soon.
Member Comments
From Lisa Lucas Talbot on Fri, July 29, 2011
Slow Food Los Angeles will be screening this film at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica on September 14 as the opening event in the inaugural Good Food Festival and Conference to mark the 30th anniversary of the Santa Monica Farmers’ Markets. A panel discussion will follow the film, and the conference will run through September 18 with guests including Will Allen, Joel Salatin, Woody Tasch, Robert Kenner, Tom Philpott, and many others who will convene to discuss challenges to moving toward a food system that’s truly good, clean, and fair.
Preliminary information is available at http://goodfoodfestivals.com/ and more information about our screening of The Harvest/La Cosecha will be available soon.
From Rachel Stone on Sun, July 31, 2011
This is horrifying to me. I’ll definitely be screening this film and talking about it on my new blog, Eat With Joy (Joyful Justice; Bread of Life) http://eatwithjoy.wordpress.com
From Miguel Lopez on Mon, August 15, 2011
This is a must-see film because it shows how cruel child labor is. I appreciate Pres. Obama’s action on this issue.
From Krystal Montero on Fri, August 26, 2011
Instead of aiming at abolishing child labor, should policy makers look for alternative approaches. Parents feel compelled to send their children to work as a means of survival.
Although not immediately apparent, a simple ban on child labor does not prove effective in ridding of it. Therefore, integrative efforts should be made in conjunction with eliminating child labor. Instead of waiting for the natural economic growth to slowly remove child labor, the government and policy makers may intervene by offering incentives.
From Andy on Fri, August 26, 2011
I have watched this movie after your review. Thanks a lot. I adviced it to my friend, australia custom essay writer.
From Alex on Fri, August 26, 2011
But I guess they’re not forced to work on farms right? There are young adults(ages 18 below) who love helping their parents on their farm…it’s not literally child labor…one way or another it’s making them more productive.
Promotional products
