Oh Them Love Apples




Our local Detwiler's Farm Market had heirloom love apples (a.k.a. tomatoes) on sale at ++  99 c per pound today.

 Such a treat. Unlike most supermarket tomatoes which are hybridized  for looks and consistent size  and not much else  -(they are flavourless), these beauties have delicate and tender skins, sweet and abundant pulp, and flesh which is ripe.

 I checked the label at the store and saw that the marketing label was "Southern Sweets".  It was not until I got home that I noticed that Southern Sweets are grown not here in Florida, but in Guatemala.

 ++  Heirloom tomatoes grown in Guatemala and on sale in Florida for 99c lb?   There is something wrong with this picture. We cannot get locally grown tomatoes at that price.

 I do not believe that they were loss leaders, or else they would have been displayed at the very front of the store.

 Perhaps there was a surplus at Tampa's Fruit and Vegetable wholesale market, and Detwiler's scooped them up at or below cost.

 The tomatoes are delicious, but I have been bothered all day.  I ask myself "under what working conditions, and at what low wages for farm labourers can tomatoes be grown and harvested in Central America, and be transported here to be sold at a ridiculously low price?

 Is this a matter of actual or virtual slave labour?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 We've had such modern day slavery not far from Sarasota in Immokalee FL   Check the video 

 https://youtu.be/zBc4cOg9-ks



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