Where Strawberries Come From.
Many strawberries eaten in Canada and the U.S. come from a country just south of the United States. Which country is it?
What is Mexico?
Workers picking strawberries in Spain and Mexico are often housed in buildings with limited space, weak sanitation, and little privacy. How would you describe the quality of these living conditions?
What is unsafe living conditions?
What are living conditions like?
what is crowded, unsanitary, no privacy, and no running water or electricity?
What are basic thing that would make a strawberries workers life easier?
What is getting paid fairly, better living (sanitary living with water and plumbing), fair hours
This European country is one of the biggest producers of strawberries for supermarkets across Europe.
What is Spain?
Workers often spend long hours bending over to pick berries. What part of the body does this usually hurt?
What is the back?
Workers who are afraid of being fired often avoid doing this when treated badly
What is reporting abuses / complaining?
What is minimum change?
What is giving reasonable hours and pay that can be livable off of?
Spain’s biggest strawberry-growing province is famous for producing winter berries for Europe. Is strawberry farming here large-scale or small-scale?
What is large-scale?
Some farms use middlemen (‘contractors’) to hire workers so the farm doesn’t have to take responsibility. What does this usually lead to.
What is more abuse?
Living in unsafe camps without clean water can make workers feel stressed and exhausted. What kinds of problems is this?
What is physical/emotional problems?
What is no punishment?
What is they would get into trouble if they damage the fruit or drop a lot and don't pick enough in a day? they would get paid less but they shouldn't get punished for that.
Why do companies buy strawberries from Spain and Mexico? One reason is the warm climate — what is the other?
What is cheap/available labor?
Workers often don’t get safety gear when handling chemicals on farms. What should farms give workers to keep them safe?
what is chemical-resistant gloves, eye and face protection like goggles, and protective clothing such as coveralls or overalls
If wages are too low, families may rely on children helping in the fields. What harmful practice can this cause?
What is child labor?
How are they paid? What can change?
What is each worker gets paid according to the size and weight of strawberries or by how equal pay among all farmers? They get paid a average wage.
Strawberries from Spain and Mexico stay cheap because workers often travel far from home, live in crowded housing, and work long hours. What’s the main reason companies use workers in these tough conditions?
What is to save money on labor / keep production costs low?
Some workers are paid based on how many berries they pick. What is this type of payment called?
What is piece-rate pay?
when workers are paid very little, what basic thing becomes hard for them to afford?
What is food, rent and basic needs?
What happens during the sale of strawberries and how can it change?
What is giving low wages to worker but selling strawberries for more money and keeping the extra for themselves? What is splitting earning fairly?