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Tell Cargill and ADM to Stop Supporting Slavery!
Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland are fighting against a provision in the Farm Bill which would provide importers with a voluntary way to demonstrate to consumers that their products are harvested without the worst forms of child labor or forced labor. Tell these companies that they should stop defending slave labor!
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , Why are your company's lobbyists defending slave labor? It has come to my attention that your company is working to oppose a provision in the Farm Bill, Section 3104, which would provide companies like yours with a voluntary way to demonstrate to consumers that your products are harvested without the worst forms of child labor or forced labor. This is a business-friendly provision which is meant to assist importers in showing consumers like me that your products are not made at the expense of international labor rights standards. A company which obeys international and U.S. laws against using forced and child labor would have nothing to fear. I would appreciate clarification on your position on this section of the Farm Bill.
Sincerely, |
Campaign Launched: |
| Background Information |
Agricultural corporations Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland have started an aggressive lobbying effort to drop a provision from the Farm Bill which would establish a voluntary certification program related to imports made using forced labor and child labor.
Section 3104 of the Farm Bill, called Voluntary Certification of Child Labor Status of Agricultural Imports, would provide a method which producers of agricultural products could use to certify that their products are free of child labor and forced labor. The Department of Labor, under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, is compiling a list of imported goods believed to be produced using forced labor or child labor in violation of international standards.
Seventy percent of the world’s child labor is concentrated in the agricultural sector, where vulnerable children toil in blazing heat, exposed to dangerous farm machinery and deadly pesticides. Working children are also deprived of an adequate education. Provision 3104 would provide a step forward in working to eliminate the worst forms of child labor and forced labor around the world, in conformance with existing
Click here to read the provision.
Click here to read a letter of support for Section 3104 from ILRF.
