Walmart-at-the-Crossroads-FINAL-06.04.15

wages in order to attract potential farm workers. Rob Williams of the Florida Migrant Farmworkers
Justice Project says, however, that the raised wages do not amount to much because the industry has
a general preference for cheap labor and is reluctant to give additional money to
laborers.
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Raised wages, therefore, become a last-resort business strategy. Instead, many companies,
including California Giant Berry, another Walmart blueberry supplier, resort to other tactics, such as
pushing Congress for an immigration overhaul that would “ensure a steady flow of workers and prevent
an exodus of newly legalized laborers from the sector.”
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Although blueberry workers do experience violations of their rights, it is often difficult to find
recorded violations because the workers tend to fall under-the-radar and are afraid of the potential for
negative backlash if they report abuse. According to Jeannie Economos of the Farmworker Association
of Florida, blueberry workers are “some of the most elusive” due to the fact that the labor supply is
small, the season is short, and workers migrate often. Even though the elusiveness of the blueberry
industry might make it difficult to regulate labor standards, this report shows that there is evidence
of labor violations in the blueberry sector and Walmart must keep its suppliers accountable to
the labor code of conduct.
A. Supplier 1: Naturipe Farms, LLC
Naturipe Farms, LLC is a partnership that formed in 2000 between four prominent berry
growers: Naturipe Berry Growers, Munger Farms, Michigan Blueberry Growers (MBG Marketing),
and Hortifrut S.A. Between the four companies, Naturipe Farms is able to provide berries, both organic
and conventional, year-round from facilities both in North and South America.
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The large scale of the
Naturipe partnership suggests growing consolidation of the U.S. blueberry industry.
Naturipe Farms is privately traded; therefore, there are few public records available on sales
history. According to the 2013 Hortifrut S.A. annual report though, Naturipe Farms, LLC had $617
million in sales in 2012.
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Considering the U.S. had a total of $815 million worth of blueberries
produced in that same year, it is clear that Naturipe Farms is one of the largest growers of blueberries.
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