Walmart Focuses on Improving the Lives of Mexican Farm Workers

Mexico’s produce exports to the United States have tripled over the last 10 years, and currently exceed $7.5 billion a year. Major American retailers and restaurant chains that import Mexican produce include Walmart, Safeway, Albertsons, Kroger and Darden, which operates the Olive Garden chain.

In recent months, there have been reports about the unsustainable working conditions of farm laborers in Mexico. This has prompted Walmart to join hands with the Mexican government to launch firm steps to improve the lives of the farm workers. The Mexican government has announced the creation of an alliance of produce industry groups that will address issues related to wage law enforcement, housing, schools and healthcare for over one million laborers at export farms.

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Image Credit: Flickr via Praziquantel

Vikas is a staff writer for the Sustainable Development news and editorial section on Justmeans. He is an MBA with 20 years of managerial and entrepreneurial experience and global travel. He is the author of "The Power of Money" (Scholars, 2003), a book that presents a revolutionary monetary economic theory on poverty alleviation in the developing world. Vikas is also the official writer for an international social project for developing nations "Decisions for Life" run in collaboration between the ILO, the University of Amsterdam and the Indian Institute of Management.