Strawberry Fields: In a Jam

I can recall, as a child, stealing through my mother's June-bearing strawberry patch during the first days of summer vacation in search of luscious fruit. Even now, the month of June means strawberries, inextricably linked in my mind with endless summer days. These days, however, California strawberries appear in markets nationally in April. And this April, the fruit's sweet image was marred by two events: a hepatitis A outbreak, from imported frozen strawberries among 187 Michigan school children, and a march of 30,000 people in Watsonville, CA, organized by the United Farm Workers (UFW) in support of the Strawberry Campaign for strawberry farm worker rights. While seemingly unrelated, the two events highlight important issues about the way our food is grown and a global food system dependent upon poorly-treated, marginalized workers.

Almost 80 percent of U.S. strawberries are grown by about 270 growers in Central California. During the 8-month harvest season, 20,000 non-union workers spend 10 to 12 hours a day stooped to the ground, picking strawberries by hand. The average wage of $6 per hour hasn't changed since 1980. "Many workers live with other workers and their families in old, run-down hotel rooms and one-room apartments," says Rich Greer, spokesperson for the AFL-CIO. The UFW and AFL-CIO Strawberry Campaign slogan, "5¢ for Fairness," emphasizes that decent wages, better living standards and health insurance can be had for workers at very little expense to consumers, growers and processors.

Along with back-breaking work, strawberry workers endure tremendous exposure to pesticides. "Strawberries are the most pesticide-intensive food crop in California," according to Kristin Schafer, program coordinator for Pesticide Action Network (PAN). In 1995, 7.1 million pounds of 150 pesticides were applied to strawberry fields in California. That amounts to about 300 pounds per acre, says Schafer.

Methyl bromide, a colorless, odorless gas used as a soil fumigant to eradicate soilborne diseases and control weeds, accounts for more than half of the total pesticide use on strawberries. Methyl bromide's extreme toxicity to the nervous system, and its ability to damage lungs, kidneys, eyes and skin lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to classify it as a Category I acute toxin, the most deadly category of substances. Farm workers and residents near fumigated fields have experienced dizziness, headaches, blurred vision and nausea. Schafer says, "Gas does escape during application and drifts into residential areas. There have been several evacuations of residents in areas where gas escaped due to tears in tarps [used to contain the gas over the soil]."

Methyl bromide, a significant ozone depletor, is scheduled to be phased out by the year 2001 under the U.S. Clean Air Act. The Netherlands, the largest producer of strawberries in Northern Europe, has completely phased out the use of methyl bromide with no significant reduction in crop volume. But the the U.S. strawberry industry--along with methyl bromide producers--is fighting the ban.

In March, the UFW petitioned the EPA to reconsider a 1994 provision permitting strawberry workers to re-enter fields sprayed with the fungicide captan, a probable human carcinogen that has been linked to birth defects, after a 24-hour period with no requirement for protective equipment. For other crops sprayed with captan, the EPA permits re-entry only after four days. None of the EPA's re-entry interval provisions contain requirements for protective equipment, according to Jeff Evans of the Worker Protection Office of the EPA. The UFW also filed notices under California's Proposition 65 charging that workers had not been warned about the hazards of the pesticide.

Strawberry consumers also face exposure. In their November 1995 report, "The Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce," Environmental Working Group (EWG) claims that strawberries are the most pesticide-contaminated item of produce, with 30 different pesticides found among various samples. EWG reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had found at least one pesticide on 70 percent of all strawberries tested for residues and that strawberries had the highest residues of hormone-disrupting pesticides, including endosulfan, dicofol and carbaryl. One in four strawberries also contained captan.

After the outbreak of hepatitis A, consumers must also be concerned about the safety of their fruit from the standpoint of hygiene. The U.S. Department of Agriculture discovered that the strawberries, mislabeled as U.S.-grown, originated in Mexico. Hepatitis A is a viral infection spread through fecal matter. While Mexican officials claim that the contamination occurred during processing in the U.S., the fact remains that a lack of toilets in the field and healthcare for workers jeopardizes everyone's safety.

Over 80 organizations, including the National Organization for Women, and 16 supermarket chains, such as Ralph's and A&P, have pledged support to the Strawberry Campaign already. To do your part, call the Strawberry Campaign to add your name to the petition, and buy organically and locally grown, in-season strawberries and other produce when possible.

The Strawberry Campaign, 888-AFL-CIOO.