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Deep Dive: Food Chains (2014)

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Food Chains
Food Chains is a documentary that examines the lives of migrant farmworkers in Immokalee, Florida, who pick fruits and vegetables for large US food wholesalers. The film reveals the poor working conditions these laborers face and their efforts to improve their situation by forming the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). The CIW organizes a hunger strike to demand that Publix, a major Florida-based food wholesaler, increase their pay by one penny per pound of tomatoes. In addition to focusing on the struggles in Immokalee, the documentary also features farmworkers in the Napa Valley vineyards. The film is produced by notable figures such as Eva Longoria and Eric Schlosser, and it has been recognized with awards, including the 2015 James Beard Foundation Award for Special/Documentary. It has been presented at multiple film festivals, including the Berlin Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival.

Why Watch

  • •See the hunger strike for better wages in Immokalee.
  • •Meet the Coalition of Immokalee Workers fighting for rights.
  • •Find out about the conditions of farmworkers in Napa Valley.

Did You Know

•Food Chains won the 2015 James Beard Foundation Award for Special/Documentary.
•The film's director is Sanjay Rawal, who focused on agricultural labor.
•The documentary has a runtime of 83 minutes.
•A Spanish version narrated by Demián Bichir was released.

Perfect For

Labor rights advocatesFood industry professionalsDocumentary enthusiasts