You may be wondering how this can be possible, and why if the pineapple industry has the potential to bring great prosperity to the Filipinos in Mindanao it is not benefiting the workers on the ground. The explanation rests on the fact that only a couple of major players control the industry, whilst Philippine farmers and workers are trapped in poverty. Thus, current practices are causing great environmental and social disruption.
An increasing number of workers are forced to work outside the purview of trade unions and employment protection laws and workers on the pineapple plantations do not earn enough to sustain their families. Situations such as these leave families with no alternative but to send their children to work on the plantations – a fact often accompanied by children being taken out of school. Based on accounts from workers, children are engaged in field maintenance (14 – 15 year olds) as well as pesticide spraying (16+ years). This labour is intensive and physically heavy, regularly resulting in illness – especially in the case of pesticide spraying, which often involves toxic substances.
The precise number of children employed in the pineapple industry on Mindanao is not known, but based on estimates from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (2010) we do know that in the two areas (South Cotabato and Bukidnon) within the region where the pineapple industry is most concentrated, around 240.000 children are employed in agriculture.
A vicious circle that can be broken
As we have seen in many of the BRICS countries, trade represents the fastest and most effective route out of poverty. But true development is only possible if all actors involved -from global companies to supermarkets, to distributors and consumers - take responsibility to ensure that, either direct or indirectly, they are not exploiting workers and stripping assets in the countries where they operate.
For instance, supermarkets as a sector are forcing their suppliers to bear the risk for their special offers, such as buy one get one free, or 50% deals. They use their huge buying power to get their suppliers to agree to contracts that allow the supermarkets to walk away at any stage, even after the products have arrived in their stores.
In the same way that global clothing brands have rightfully been held responsible for the sweatshop conditions suffered by factory workers in their supply chain, it is about time the global supermarkets are also held to account for what happens in their food supply chains.
This vicious circle can only be broken with the support of consumers. As awareness rises among consumers and more of them express their desire to buy sustainably sourced pineapples, the more companies will listen to these demands and incorporate the needed changes along their supply chain.
In this sense,supermarkets, as main buyers of produce, can really drive the change in the whole industry, starting by revising their contracts with their suppliers. In the same way that they can currently stipulate who takes the financial risk in the relationship with their suppliers. It would be easy enough for supermarkets to stipulate that no child labor may be used in their supply chains and that they expect to see the suppliers taking steps to end irregular work, by offering their laborers contracts that specify their hours and working conditions. Once these conditions are in place, workers can legally negotiate for improved conditions without fear of losing their jobs threats or actual violence.
All agrochemicals banned in the US and the EU must no longer be used in the pineapple sector, and workers exposed to legal agrochemicals must be adequately trained and appropriately protected with safety equipment. Finally, watchdog organisations –such as Fairfood- must be allowed to monitor that these actions are genuinely being carried out
Change starts with awareness
Fairfood started working on the pineapple supply chain in 2011. Since then, the organisation has visited pineapple plantations on Mindanao, arranged two stakeholder conferences, met with locals and experts and heard the stories of workers facing insufficient income, insecure labour contracts, unreasonable working hours and dangerous working conditions. In Mindanao, Fairfood calls on the companies involved to work closely with their suppliers in order to address human rights issues for farmers and farm workers and thus ensure that all workers have contracts and are paid fair wages, irrespective of the marketing deals done at retail level. This shall also eliminate the need for child labour.
In addition, the organization has rolled out the Land of Promise Campaign with the support of the Dutch National Postcode Lottery to make the pineapple production on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines more sustainable. Food production is sustainable if it also ensures fair treatment of workers and protects the environment. With the Land of Promise campaign, Fairfood is urging pineapple producers and retailers to take responsibility for the abuses in their supply chains and to make positive changes which benefit both people and nature.
What's next?
The gap between the rich and poor has been increasing globally with the rich getting richer off the cheap labor of poor workers. In the 21st century it is unacceptable to continue to reap huge profits while others are working under infrahuman conditions. Significant effort is being carried out on different fronts pushing for an end to this intolerable situation. Consumers have great power and should exercise it. The Netherlands is regarded as the 2nd largest importer and 7th largest consumer of pineapples. With such high figures, consumers in The Netherlands have then a lot to say. Where better to start than with your sweet slice of pineapple?
By Anselm Iwundu, Executive Director of Fairfood International
Anselm, a Nigerian national, holds a Bachelor's degree in Geology from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri Nigeria and an MBA in Environment and Energy Management from the University of Twente, the Netherlands. He has wide experience in the field of environment and sustainability for various sectors including non-profit, energy, oil & gas, mining and banking. He has also consulted on environment and sustainability issues for Dutch and international NGOs, companies and municipal governments in Africa and Latin America. Presently, Anselm is Fairfood International's Executive Director.
