CATA – the Farmworker Support Committee is a migrant farmworker organization governed by and comprised of migrant and immigrant workers who are actively engaged in the struggle for better working and living conditions. CATA’s mission is to empower and educate workers through leadership development and capacity building so that they are able to make informed decisions on the best course of action for their interests.
While this mission may not seem environmentally focused, the great thing about CATA’s participation with EarthShare is that it allows the organization to showcase the environmental work that it does as it relates to the migrant community and workers’ rights. The organization believes that taking care of the environment and workers go hand in hand.
Pesticides, in terms of food production, are not only harmful to the earth, but they’re also harmful to the people working the land and those consuming the food. Farmworkers are doubly exposed to pesticides on a daily basis as they plant and harvest crops, then consume them.
Part of CATA’s efforts focuses on training workers on the use of pesticides and the safety precautions they should take to protect themselves from exposure. They also focus on the policies that allow these toxic chemicals to be used in the first place. As part of CATA’s policy work, they advocate for stricter regulations around the use of pesticides as well as the promotion of organic agriculture as a viable alternative.
CATA and its members have also started their very own Organic Community Garden in Bridgeton, NJ to make healthy, organic produce easily accessible to the surrounding low-income community, where these types of foods are not easily found.
Organic Community Garden in Bridgeton, NJ Photo Credit: Rachel Winograd
CATA is also one of the creators of the Food Justice Certified Label, a holistic approach to certifying products based on a set of standards that takes into consideration care of the environment, fair treatment of workers, fair prices for farmers and buyers, and guarantees a fair and just product for socially-conscious consumers.
According to CATA, as a member of EarthShare New Jersey, the organization has been able to share its mission on a larger scale with statewide organizations and businesses. Together, EarthShare and CATA are helping others to make the connection between caring for the environment and caring for ourselves and our communities. Together, we can learn to respect the earth and those who work it.
For more information on the Food Justice Certified label, visit http://agriculturaljusticeproject.org.