The UFCW applauded the introduction of the Farm System Reform Act, which will directly address corporate control and put workers and farmers in the driver’s seat of the country’s food system. The bill was recently introduced in Congress by U.S. Senator Cory Booker (N.J.) and U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (Calif.-17).
Joining the UFCW in supporting the legislation was Family Farm Action, a national advocacy group, which called the bill an important step to empowering America’s workers and farmers while transforming the power, policy, and financial structures that underpin the U.S. meat and dairy production systems.
The UFCW praised the legislation, saying that among other urgently-needed reforms, the Farm System Reform Act requires greater price transparency and production accountability for meatpackers, and also abolishes abusive corporate practices like undue preference and certain tournament payment systems.
“America’s meatpacking workers have been among the hardest hit by COVID-19 and know firsthand the need to strengthen and improve our country’s food supply chain,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement. “For too long, giant corporations have used their power to suppress worker wages, drive up food prices at the grocery store, and block consumer protections. This bill takes action to rein in food industry monopolies and put consumers and workers first with new mandatory country-of-origin labeling requirements for beef, pork, and dairy products. As America’s largest union for frontline food workers, the UFCW is proud to support this bill from Senator Booker and Representative Khanna, and we urge Congress to quickly pass it and send it to President Biden’s desk for his signature.”
You can learn more about the Farm System Reform Act here.