CIERTO’s Chief Operating Officer Featured in Ongoing Supply Chain Sustainability Series
As part of People First, an ongoing series of interviews, profiles, and articles on building a sustainable produce supply chain by The Packer, our COO Carolyn Fairman chatted with reporter Amy Sowder about the impact CIERTO’s work has on migrant farm workers and their communities.
CIERTO COO, Carolyn Fairman
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Carolyn spoke with them about our roots, how hard we work to earn the trust of migrant workers in Mexico, and about the impact ethical recruitment can have on workers’ everyday lives both on the job, and in the off season when they return home to their loved ones.
The conversation also touched on the hazards workers face throughout the recruitment process, and how CIERTO works with produce companies to reduce those risks, while giving growers a strong return on investment.
“The return on investment is a reliable, sustainable workforce that’s happy to return to your farm, a professional labor force, brand integrity and increased productivity,” Fairman said.
Clean, ethical recruiting stands to play an important role going forward in creating a sustainable produce supply chain.
Retailers rely on continuity of supply, while consumers are increasingly aware of human rights violations, and other labor issues and expect the brands they support to reflect these values.
Influential players like Walmart and other retailers respond to and drive this consumer pressure, by making responsible recruiting an important consideration when choosing the vendors and farms they choose to work with. Produce companies will need to step up their recruiting standards to meet this demand and stay profitable
Balancing this equation is the only viable path to a truly sustainable produce supply chain, and CIERTO is leading the way in driving this tectonic shift in industry thinking.
