{"id":1275,"date":"2026-07-21T21:46:50","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T21:46:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=1275"},"modified":"2026-07-21T21:46:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T21:46:50","slug":"do-my-grocery-store-blueberries-come-from-farms-where-workers-were-harmed-propublica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=1275","title":{"rendered":"Do My Grocery Store Blueberries Come From Farms Where Workers Were Harmed? \u2014 ProPublica"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/h2a-supply-chain-og-1200x630-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Do My Grocery Store Blueberries Come From Farms Where Workers Were Harmed? \u2014 ProPublica\" title=\"Do My Grocery Store Blueberries Come From Farms Where Workers Were Harmed? \u2014 ProPublica\" \/><\/div><p><\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 48em)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain-opener_desktop.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"p-custom-opener__poster\" src=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain-opener_mobile.jpg\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/source><\/picture><video class=\"p-custom-opener__bg-video p-custom-opener__bg-video--mobile\" preload=\"auto\" autoplay=\"\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" playsinline=\"\" webkit-playsinline=\"\"><source src=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain-opener_mobile_web.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\/><\/video><video class=\"p-custom-opener__bg-video p-custom-opener__bg-video--desktop\" preload=\"none\" autoplay=\"\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" playsinline=\"\" webkit-playsinline=\"\"><source src=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/20260622-Myers-H2A-2000x3000.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\/><\/video><\/div>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<div class=\"max-interview\" data-max-interview=\"\">\n<div class=\"max-interview__sticky\">\n<div class=\"max-interview__body\">\n<p><span class=\"transcript-words\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"0\" data-start=\"0.125\" data-end=\"0.4583\">Over<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"1\" data-start=\"0.4583\" data-end=\"0.5417\">the<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"2\" data-start=\"0.5417\" data-end=\"0.875\">past<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"3\" data-start=\"0.875\" data-end=\"1.375\">year,<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"4\" data-start=\"1.4167\" data-end=\"1.625\">I\u2019ve<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"5\" data-start=\"1.625\" data-end=\"2\">reported<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"6\" data-start=\"2\" data-end=\"2.25\">about<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"7\" data-start=\"2.25\" data-end=\"2.5833\">crimes<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"8\" data-start=\"2.625\" data-end=\"2.875\">against<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"9\" data-start=\"2.875\" data-end=\"3.7083\">farmworkers<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"11\" data-start=\"3.7083\" data-end=\"3.8333\">who<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"12\" data-start=\"3.875\" data-end=\"4\">have<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"13\" data-start=\"4\" data-end=\"4.25\">come<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"14\" data-start=\"4.25\" data-end=\"4.375\">to<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"15\" data-start=\"4.4167\" data-end=\"4.5\">the<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"16\" data-start=\"4.5417\" data-end=\"4.8333\">U.S.<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"17\" data-start=\"4.875\" data-end=\"5.5833\">legally<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"18\" data-start=\"5.5833\" data-end=\"5.875\">from<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"19\" data-start=\"5.875\" data-end=\"6.5417\">Mexico<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"20\" data-start=\"6.5417\" data-end=\"6.75\">and<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"21\" data-start=\"6.75\" data-end=\"7.125\">Central<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"22\" data-start=\"7.125\" data-end=\"7.7917\">America.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"sr-only\">Over the past year, I\u2019ve reported about crimes against farmworkers who have come to the U.S. legally from Mexico and Central America.<\/span> <span class=\"transcript-words\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"0\" data-start=\"8\" data-end=\"8.125\">I<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"1\" data-start=\"8.125\" data-end=\"8.4167\">haven\u2019t<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"2\" data-start=\"8.4167\" data-end=\"8.6667\">stopped<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"3\" data-start=\"8.6667\" data-end=\"8.9167\">thinking<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"4\" data-start=\"8.9167\" data-end=\"9.1667\">about<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"5\" data-start=\"9.1667\" data-end=\"9.3333\">how<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"6\" data-start=\"9.3333\" data-end=\"9.5\">they<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"7\" data-start=\"9.5417\" data-end=\"10.0833\">suffered.<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"8\" data-start=\"10.25\" data-end=\"10.5\">Their<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"9\" data-start=\"10.5\" data-end=\"10.75\">wages<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"10\" data-start=\"10.75\" data-end=\"10.9167\">were<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"11\" data-start=\"10.9167\" data-end=\"11.5833\">stolen,<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"12\" data-start=\"11.5833\" data-end=\"11.7917\">guns<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"13\" data-start=\"11.7917\" data-end=\"11.9583\">were<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"14\" data-start=\"12\" data-end=\"12.3333\">pointed<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"15\" data-start=\"12.3333\" data-end=\"12.5\">in<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"16\" data-start=\"12.5\" data-end=\"12.625\">their<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"17\" data-start=\"12.625\" data-end=\"13.0833\">faces,<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"18\" data-start=\"13.0833\" data-end=\"13.25\">and<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"19\" data-start=\"13.25\" data-end=\"13.4167\">one<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"20\" data-start=\"13.4167\" data-end=\"13.6667\">woman<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"21\" data-start=\"13.6667\" data-end=\"13.8333\">I<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"22\" data-start=\"13.8333\" data-end=\"14.2917\">met<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"23\" data-start=\"14.3333\" data-end=\"14.625\">was<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"24\" data-start=\"14.5833\" data-end=\"14.7917\">held<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"25\" data-start=\"14.8333\" data-end=\"15.375\">captive,<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"26\" data-start=\"15.375\" data-end=\"15.8333\">raped<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"27\" data-start=\"15.8333\" data-end=\"16.0417\">and<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"28\" data-start=\"16.0417\" data-end=\"16.4167\">nearly<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"29\" data-start=\"16.4167\" data-end=\"16.9167\">killed.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"sr-only\">I haven\u2019t stopped thinking about how they suffered. Their wages were stolen, guns were pointed in their faces, and one woman I met was held captive, raped and nearly killed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><button class=\"max-interview__replay\" type=\"button\" hidden=\"\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12 5V1L7 6l5 5V7c3.31 0 6 2.69 6 6s-2.69 6-6 6-6-2.69-6-6H4c0 4.42 3.58 8 8 8s8-3.58 8-8-3.58-8-8-8z\"\/><\/svg> <span>Replay<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"story-section\">\n<p><span class=\"lead-in\">As I wrote<\/span> those stories, there was something else I couldn\u2019t stop thinking about \u2014 something I keep thinking about: Whenever I go to the grocery store, I have no easy way of knowing if the fruits and vegetables I put in my cart are part of the problem I\u2019ve documented.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"farmworkers-video\"><video class=\"farmworkers-video__video\" src=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain-farmworkers_mobile.mp4\" poster=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain-farmworkers_mobile.jpg\" preload=\"none\" autoplay=\"\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" playsinline=\"\" webkit-playsinline=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\">Footage from labor contractor Javier Sanchez Mendoza in 2018 on a blueberry farm. Mendoza was charged in a federal indictment and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in forced labor. <span class=\"attribution__credit\">via Facebook<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I eat a lot of blueberries, which happen to be the fruit grown most in the state where I live, Georgia, and the state where I tracked these abuses. During the long drives back and forth between my home in Atlanta and my reporting trips in the rural South, I had a lot of time to consider how little we know about the farms that feed us.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"figure--w06\"><video class=\"story-media\" src=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain-road_mobile.mp4\" poster=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain-road_mobile.jpg\" preload=\"none\" autoplay=\"\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" playsinline=\"\" webkit-playsinline=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"attribution__credit\">Max Blau\/ProPublica<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I struggled with the disconnect between the problems on America\u2019s farms and the limited awareness of those problems in most American households. I felt that disconnect in my own kitchen, every time I reached for the berries in my fridge.<\/p>\n<p>I wanted to know: With enough digging, would it be possible to determine if the blueberries I\u2019m buying come from farms with a record of mistreating workers?<\/p>\n<div class=\"berry-divider\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain-floating-blueberry.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"lead-in\">Federal regulators don\u2019t require<\/span> blueberry brands to disclose on their packaging any information about the individual farms they buy from. So I had to spend time \u2014 a <em>lot<\/em> of time \u2014 trying to figure that out.<\/p>\n<p>I started by looking at labels on the blueberry pints in my grocery stores.<\/p>\n<p>I snapped photos. I researched the brands. I read government records.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"attribution__credit\">Max Blau\/ProPublica<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"story-section\">\n<p>If you look closely, you\u2019ll see that the pints often list the state where the berries are grown or the city they\u2019re distributed from. But not the farm itself.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"figure--w06\"><video class=\"story-media\" src=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain-label.mp4\" poster=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain-label.jpg\" preload=\"none\" autoplay=\"\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" playsinline=\"\" webkit-playsinline=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"attribution__credit\">Mauricio Rodr\u00edguez Pons\/ProPublica<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"story-section\">\n<p>As it turns out, the pints sold by a specific brand aren\u2019t always sourced to a single farm. To keep up with demand, and to help keep prices low, brands buy berries from a whole bunch of farms and sell them under a single label.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"figure--w06\"><video class=\"story-media\" src=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-grocery.mp4\" poster=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-grocery.jpg\" preload=\"none\" autoplay=\"\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" playsinline=\"\" webkit-playsinline=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"attribution__credit\">Illustration by Andrew B. Myers for ProPublica<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That makes it even harder to know if the berries you\u2019re buying come from farms where workers were harmed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"max-interview\" data-max-interview=\"\" data-berry-grid=\"\">\n<div class=\"max-interview__sticky\">\n<div class=\"max-interview__body\">\n<p><span class=\"transcript-words\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"0\" data-start=\"0.0833\" data-end=\"0.2083\">I<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"1\" data-start=\"0.25\" data-end=\"0.375\">was<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"2\" data-start=\"0.375\" data-end=\"0.625\">able<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"3\" data-start=\"0.625\" data-end=\"0.7083\">to<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"4\" data-start=\"0.7083\" data-end=\"0.9583\">trace<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"5\" data-start=\"0.9167\" data-end=\"1.1667\">one<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"6\" data-start=\"1.1667\" data-end=\"1.5417\">brand\u2019s<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"7\" data-start=\"1.5417\" data-end=\"1.9167\">berries<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"8\" data-start=\"1.9167\" data-end=\"2.125\">back<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"9\" data-start=\"2.125\" data-end=\"2.4583\">from<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"10\" data-start=\"2.4583\" data-end=\"2.6667\">my<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"11\" data-start=\"2.6667\" data-end=\"3.0417\">grocery<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"12\" data-start=\"3.0417\" data-end=\"3.4167\">store<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"13\" data-start=\"3.4167\" data-end=\"3.5833\">to<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"14\" data-start=\"3.625\" data-end=\"3.75\">an<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"15\" data-start=\"3.75\" data-end=\"4.2917\">individual<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"16\" data-start=\"4.2917\" data-end=\"4.5833\">farm.<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"17\" data-start=\"4.625\" data-end=\"4.75\">I\u2019m<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"18\" data-start=\"4.75\" data-end=\"4.8333\">not<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"19\" data-start=\"4.8333\" data-end=\"5\">going<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"20\" data-start=\"5\" data-end=\"5.0833\">to<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"21\" data-start=\"5.0833\" data-end=\"5.25\">name<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"22\" data-start=\"5.25\" data-end=\"5.4167\">that<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"23\" data-start=\"5.4167\" data-end=\"5.6667\">brand,<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"24\" data-start=\"5.7083\" data-end=\"5.8333\">though,<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"25\" data-start=\"5.8333\" data-end=\"6.125\">because<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"26\" data-start=\"6.125\" data-end=\"6.3333\">its<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"27\" data-start=\"6.3333\" data-end=\"6.8333\">practices<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"28\" data-start=\"6.8333\" data-end=\"6.9583\">are<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"29\" data-start=\"6.9583\" data-end=\"7.2917\">hardly<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"30\" data-start=\"7.2917\" data-end=\"7.7917\">unique.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"sr-only\">I was able to trace one brand\u2019s berries back from my grocery store to an individual farm. I\u2019m not going to name that brand, though, because its practices are hardly unique.<\/span> <span class=\"transcript-words\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"0\" data-start=\"7.9167\" data-end=\"8.1667\">Sure<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"1\" data-start=\"8.1667\" data-end=\"8.5\">enough,<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"2\" data-start=\"8.5\" data-end=\"8.625\">I<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"3\" data-start=\"8.6667\" data-end=\"8.8333\">found<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"4\" data-start=\"8.8333\" data-end=\"8.9583\">that<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"5\" data-start=\"8.9583\" data-end=\"9.0833\">the<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"6\" data-start=\"9.0833\" data-end=\"9.4167\">brand<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"7\" data-start=\"9.4167\" data-end=\"9.6667\">did<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"8\" data-start=\"9.7083\" data-end=\"9.9167\">buy<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"9\" data-start=\"9.9167\" data-end=\"10.375\">berries<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"10\" data-start=\"10.375\" data-end=\"10.7083\">from<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"11\" data-start=\"10.7083\" data-end=\"10.7917\">a<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"12\" data-start=\"10.7917\" data-end=\"11.125\">farm<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"13\" data-start=\"11.125\" data-end=\"11.2917\">that<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"14\" data-start=\"11.2917\" data-end=\"11.4583\">had<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"15\" data-start=\"11.4583\" data-end=\"11.7083\">hired<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"16\" data-start=\"11.7083\" data-end=\"11.7917\">a<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"17\" data-start=\"11.7917\" data-end=\"12.125\">labor<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"18\" data-start=\"12.125\" data-end=\"12.9167\">contractor,<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"19\" data-start=\"13.125\" data-end=\"13.3333\">and<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"20\" data-start=\"13.3333\" data-end=\"13.5\">that<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"21\" data-start=\"13.5\" data-end=\"14.0833\">contractor<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"22\" data-start=\"14.0833\" data-end=\"14.2917\">was<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"23\" data-start=\"14.2917\" data-end=\"15\">responsible<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"24\" data-start=\"15\" data-end=\"15.2083\">for<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"25\" data-start=\"15.2083\" data-end=\"15.375\">some<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"26\" data-start=\"15.375\" data-end=\"15.4583\">of<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"27\" data-start=\"15.4583\" data-end=\"15.5417\">the<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"28\" data-start=\"15.5417\" data-end=\"16.25\">abuses<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"29\" data-start=\"16.25\" data-end=\"16.4167\">in<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"30\" data-start=\"16.4167\" data-end=\"16.5417\">one<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"31\" data-start=\"16.5417\" data-end=\"16.6667\">of<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"32\" data-start=\"16.6667\" data-end=\"17.1667\">America\u2019s<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"33\" data-start=\"17.1667\" data-end=\"17.625\">largest<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"34\" data-start=\"17.625\" data-end=\"18\">labor<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"35\" data-start=\"18\" data-end=\"18.5\">trafficking<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"36\" data-start=\"18.5\" data-end=\"19.625\">prosecutions.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"sr-only\">Sure enough, I found that the brand did buy berries from a farm that had hired a labor contractor, and that contractor was responsible for some of the abuses in one of America\u2019s largest labor trafficking prosecutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><button class=\"max-interview__replay\" type=\"button\" hidden=\"\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12 5V1L7 6l5 5V7c3.31 0 6 2.69 6 6s-2.69 6-6 6-6-2.69-6-6H4c0 4.42 3.58 8 8 8s8-3.58 8-8-3.58-8-8-8z\"\/><\/svg> <span>Replay<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"story-section story-section--pad-end\">\n<p><span class=\"lead-in\">That case,<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.propublica.org\/h2a-visa-farmworkers-operation-blooming-onion\/\">which I wrote about at length<\/a>, revealed that thousands of foreign farmworkers had been illegally charged fees by labor contractors to work in the U.S. Some were forced to pick crops for little to no pay in what prosecutors described as a form of modern-day slavery.<\/p>\n<p>This wasn\u2019t the first case of the abuse of farmworkers at the hands of labor contractors. Or the last. Many of these harms might have been prevented if the workers had received the protections they were promised by the U.S. government. And there have been no substantial reforms to address the abuses, either.<\/p>\n<div class=\"gallery-block\">\n<figure class=\"gallery-block__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gallery-block__img\" src=\"https:\/\/img.assets-d.propublica.org\/v5\/images\/h2a-mattresses-evidentiary_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?crop=focalpoint&amp;fit=crop&amp;fm=webp&amp;fp-x=0.5&amp;fp-y=0.5&amp;h=1419&amp;q=75&amp;w=2000&amp;s=1621c9f1b72af3011f7529890e3837c0\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A dimly lit red room filled with mattresses stacked vertically.\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\">Federal prosecutors entered as evidence photos of the housing that defendants had provided to farmworkers. <span class=\"attribution__credit\">Obtained by ProPublica<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"gallery-block__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gallery-block__img\" src=\"https:\/\/img.assets-d.propublica.org\/v5\/images\/h2a-purse-evidentiary_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.jpg?crop=focalpoint&amp;fit=crop&amp;fm=webp&amp;fp-x=0.5&amp;fp-y=0.5&amp;h=1460&amp;q=75&amp;w=2000&amp;s=169100f6819d0e204324db7fb8e354d6\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Fifteen Mexican passports and stacks of U.S. currency on a patchwork blanket in front of a pink purse.\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\">Federal investigators seized a trove of passports that they say had been confiscated from farmworkers by the defendants. <span class=\"attribution__credit\">Obtained by ProPublica<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The reason contractors exist in the first place is because farmers struggle to find workers in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>Many farmers speak only English. So they end up hiring contractors to bring foreign laborers to the U.S. and oversee their work.<\/p>\n<p>That outsourcing can shield farmers from responsibility for \u2014 or even awareness of \u2014 harm against their workers.<\/p>\n<p>Labor regulators have repeatedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/h-2a-visa-farmworker-exploitation-regulators\">failed to make sure that contractors do what the government requires them to do<\/a>: keep workers safe and pay them what they\u2019re promised.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"max-interview\" data-max-interview=\"\">\n<div class=\"max-interview__sticky\">\n<div class=\"max-interview__body\">\n<p><span class=\"transcript-words\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"0\" data-start=\"0.25\" data-end=\"0.625\">Many<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"1\" data-start=\"0.625\" data-end=\"1\">farmers,<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"2\" data-start=\"1\" data-end=\"1.375\">brands<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"3\" data-start=\"1.375\" data-end=\"1.5\">and<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"4\" data-start=\"1.5\" data-end=\"2\">grocers<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"5\" data-start=\"2\" data-end=\"2.2083\">were<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"6\" data-start=\"2.2083\" data-end=\"2.7083\">reluctant<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"7\" data-start=\"2.7083\" data-end=\"2.7917\">to<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"8\" data-start=\"2.8333\" data-end=\"3\">talk<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"9\" data-start=\"3\" data-end=\"3.125\">to<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"10\" data-start=\"3.1667\" data-end=\"3.375\">me<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"11\" data-start=\"3.375\" data-end=\"3.7083\">about<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"12\" data-start=\"3.7083\" data-end=\"3.875\">these<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"13\" data-start=\"3.875\" data-end=\"4.7083\">abuses.<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"14\" data-start=\"4.75\" data-end=\"4.8333\">I<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"15\" data-start=\"4.8333\" data-end=\"5.0833\">spoke<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"16\" data-start=\"5.0833\" data-end=\"5.2917\">with<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"17\" data-start=\"5.2917\" data-end=\"5.7083\">experts<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"18\" data-start=\"5.7083\" data-end=\"5.8333\">to<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"19\" data-start=\"5.8333\" data-end=\"5.9583\">see<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"20\" data-start=\"5.9583\" data-end=\"6.125\">if<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"21\" data-start=\"6.125\" data-end=\"6.2917\">there<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"22\" data-start=\"6.2917\" data-end=\"6.4167\">are<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"23\" data-start=\"6.4167\" data-end=\"6.5833\">ways<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"24\" data-start=\"6.5833\" data-end=\"6.7083\">for<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"25\" data-start=\"6.7083\" data-end=\"7.1667\">consumers<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"26\" data-start=\"7.1667\" data-end=\"7.2917\">to<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"27\" data-start=\"7.3333\" data-end=\"7.7917\">know<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"28\" data-start=\"8\" data-end=\"8.375\">if<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"29\" data-start=\"8.375\" data-end=\"8.4583\">the<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"30\" data-start=\"8.4583\" data-end=\"8.75\">people<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"31\" data-start=\"8.75\" data-end=\"9.0417\">picking<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"32\" data-start=\"9.0417\" data-end=\"9.25\">their<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"33\" data-start=\"9.25\" data-end=\"9.7917\">blueberries<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"34\" data-start=\"9.7917\" data-end=\"9.9583\">are<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"35\" data-start=\"9.9583\" data-end=\"10.1667\">being<\/span> <span class=\"word\" data-word-id=\"36\" data-start=\"10.1667\" data-end=\"10.7917\">mistreated.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"sr-only\">Many farmers, brands and grocers were reluctant to talk to me about these abuses. I spoke with experts to see if there are ways for consumers to know if the people picking their blueberries are being mistreated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><button class=\"max-interview__replay\" type=\"button\" hidden=\"\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12 5V1L7 6l5 5V7c3.31 0 6 2.69 6 6s-2.69 6-6 6-6-2.69-6-6H4c0 4.42 3.58 8 8 8s8-3.58 8-8-3.58-8-8-8z\"\/><\/svg> <span>Replay<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"story-section\">\n<p><span class=\"lead-in\">Those experts,<\/span> who study farm labor conditions and food supply chains, said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/h-2a-farmworker-visa-safety-suggestions-experts\">the gold standard for preventing worker abuse is the Fair Food Program<\/a>. Under the program, supermarkets and other corporate buyers commit to paying a little more for produce \u2014 a cost so negligible, at a few pennies per pound, that one expert said it shouldn\u2019t drive up prices.<\/p>\n<p>For those few pennies, grocers get crops from farms that offer their workers stronger protections.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"story-media\" src=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain-20251022-Melton-H2A-CMA_3782_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Two farmworkers wear long pants and long sleeves, and bend over a row of tomato plants, with red buckets at their feet. Green tomatoes are scattered on the dirt around them.\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\">Pacific Tomato Growers is one of a few dozen farms to participate in the Fair Food Program, which protects workers against abuse and exploitation. <span class=\"attribution__credit\">Audra Melton for ProPublica<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fruits and vegetables from those farms are labeled with a green sticker of a woman holding a basket of tomatoes. The stickers give consumers like me a clear indication that the workers who picked that produce were treated fairly.<\/p>\n<p>When I\u2019ve found these tomatoes in my grocery stores, they don\u2019t cost measurably more than others without the label.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"story-media\" src=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain_food-ffp.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Tomatoes with \u201cFair Food\u201d stickers in a wooden bowl.\"\/><figcaption class=\"attribution\"><span class=\"attribution__credit\">Mauricio Rodr\u00edguez Pons\/ProPublica<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Dozens of farms <a href=\"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/article\/fair-food-program-farmworker-abuse-exploitation\">have signed on to the Fair Food Program<\/a>, and participation in it has been shown to prevent abuse in the fields.<\/p>\n<p>But only a few small blueberry farms participate in the program.<\/p>\n<p>Until that or something else changes, consumers will know virtually nothing about the farms their blueberries come from. And they won\u2019t be able to make choices that could make a difference in the lives of the people who pick them.<\/p>\n<p><video class=\"story-media story-media--w06\" src=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain-max-eating.mp4\" poster=\"https:\/\/static.propublica.org\/projects\/graphics\/2026-h2a-supply-chain\/h2a-supply-chain-max-eating.jpg\" preload=\"none\" autoplay=\"\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" playsinline=\"\" webkit-playsinline=\"\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>ProPublica reached out to more than 75 blueberry brands, grocery stores, fast-food chains, farmers, trade groups and labor contractors over the course of reporting this series.<\/p>\n<p>Only one brand responded. Dole wrote in a statement that it requires contract farmers to comply with labor laws to protect \u201cworker welfare.\u201d Dole added it can trace berries back to the farms where they came from but that it has not made that information available to consumers.<\/p>\n<p>ProPublica also reached out to over 30 of America\u2019s largest grocery and fast-food chains to ask why they haven\u2019t joined the Fair Food Program or expanded their limited participation. None of the companies answered questions about the program.<\/p>\n<p>Over two dozen trade groups declined to talk about why so few farmers participate in the program. Some have opposed efforts by regulators to enact protections like the ones that the program requires. They said the changes would \u201cburden the whole industry for a few bad apples\u201d who disregarded the rights of workers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the past year, I\u2019ve reported about crimes against farmworkers who have come to the U.S. legally from Mexico and Central America. Over the past year, I\u2019ve reported about crimes against farmworkers who have come to the U.S. legally from Mexico and Central America. I haven\u2019t stopped thinking about how they suffered. Their wages were&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1276,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.propublica.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/h2a-supply-chain-og-1200x630-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[2528,2529,2527,1989,81,1219,2530],"class_list":["post-1275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-blueberries","tag-farms","tag-grocery","tag-harmed","tag-propublica","tag-store","tag-workers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1275\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}