Chipotle Mexican Grill's public image hinges on its claim to serving "Food With Integrity" -- a campaign that has made it one of the most successful and lucrative chain restaurants in the United States. The "integrity" slogan implies not only high standards for ecological sustainability and animal welfare, but also a deep regard for social justice. You might think that such a company would be at the forefront of efforts to rid the U.S. food system of exploitative working conditions and outright slavery. Yet while Chipotle has instituted bold policies to promote animal welfare in its supply chain as well as to bolster sustainability, it has refused to throw its full weight behind the movement to end forced labor in our agricultural fields.
The situation draws little public attention, but nearly a century and a half after the end of the Civil War, slavery remains a lingering phenomenon in the U.S. Last week in Honolulu, federal prosecutors indicted six people for their role in a massive, multi-state labor trafficking ring. In total, more than 400 farmworkers from Thailand were brought into the U.S. on "guestworker" visas and then held in servitude on farms in 13 states from Hawaii to Florida. Workers' passports were confiscated, and those who protested...
