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Summer 2016

Food Chains

July 6, 2016

These images were taken between August 2011 and December 2012, during the filming of the feature-length documentary film, Food Chains.

Food Chains explores the exploitation in farm labor while exposing the modern-day forces that perpetrate such abuses. Ultimately, the film seeks to inspire viewers to demand changes that would result in the fair and dignified treatment of farm workers in America. All photos were taken by Forest Woodward. Caption text by Forest Woodward, Sanjay Racal and Smriti Keshari.

Many farmworkers carry with them the hopes and dreams of their families and loved ones in the countries they left behind.
Workers face long days filled with strenuous work and family obligations.
Evening bus
The evening brings a much needed respite from work.
Food Chains - women
About one quarter of tomato pickers are women. They face routine harassment from supervisors whose behavior is largely unchecked, much less regulated.
Food Chains - Bus 2
Farmworkers earn on average between $10,000 and $12,000 a year (far below the poverty line) making it nearly impossible to develop savings, much less raise a family. Coupled with exploitative conditions in the field, farm work ranks amongst the most dangerous and poorly paid jobs in America.
Food Chains - tomato sort
Workers must sort these green tomatoes for size and shape in order to please consumers who purchase them largely based on aesthetics rather than taste.
Farm workers are continuously stressing the same muscles through repeated picking motions, often resulting in long-term health issues.
Women often work in Napa vineyards as well. The cost of living is so high that entire families must work in order to afford housing.
Farm worker labor camp in Salinas, CA.
Food Chains - dinner
Workers will prepare simple meals of beans and eggs for dinner to replace the thousands of calories burned at work.
Food Chains - Pay Day
Pay day.
The city of Immokalee lies just 40 miles east of Naples, Florida, one of the richest cities in America. Immokalee is desperately poor despite the fact that much of our nation’s winter time tomato harvest originates here.
Tomato pickers are paid by the bucket, each of which weighs 32 pounds. Workers must harvest over 450 pounds per hour, in sweltering heat, just to earn the equivalent of minimum wage.
Back To Stories

Forest Woodward is a renowned photographer working with clients such as Patagonia, Outdoor Research and Jcrew, while doing editorial photography for National Geographic Adventure, Outside Magazine, Esquire, ABC, Forbes, Gawker, The Guardian and others. He was the director of photography for the award-winning documentary film, Food Chains.

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