The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is a worker-led human rights organization rooted in farmworker community organizing and internationally recognized for advancing labor rights, gender justice, and anti–human trafficking protections in agriculture. Emerging from decades of grassroots organizing, CIW has reshaped how accountability operates in global food supply chains by centering the voices and leadership of workers most affected by exploitation.
At the heart of CIW’s work is the Fair Food Program (FFP)—a groundbreaking, worker-driven model that combines binding purchasing agreements with rigorous, independent monitoring and real consequences for abuse. The program has established industry-leading protections against wage theft, sexual violence, forced labor, and unsafe working conditions, allowing tens of thousands of farmworkers to labor with dignity and without fear. CIW’s advocacy also extends beyond farms to institutions and consumers, challenging corporations and universities to move from voluntary commitments to enforceable responsibility.
Why It Matters: CIW demonstrates that meaningful labor protections are possible when workers themselves design and enforce the systems meant to protect them. By pairing human rights standards with market accountability, the organization exposes the limits of voluntary corporate ethics and offers a proven alternative rooted in power, transparency, and enforcement. Its work makes clear that freedom from exploitation is not aspirational—it is achievable when institutions are willing to commit.
