No Grapes: Support Grape Pickers

Perhaps Harvard students have merely forgotten. Last week, in response to numerous student requests, Harvard Dining Services (HDS) announced that they will begin to carry grapes again at brunch on Nov. 9 after five years of supporting the ongoing United Farm Workers (UFW) boycott on table grapes. In response, we will remind the student body of the reason that grapes have no place in our dining halls.

The boycott of table grapes was begun for two reasons: for the livelihoods of the one percent of grape workers represented by the United Farm Workers (UFW), founded by the late Cesar Chavez; and for the sake of the countless others who would wish to join but are prevented for fear of losing their jobs.

Grape pickers in California work long days under arduous conditions in close proximity to pesticides. They are paid for the number of boxes of grapes they pick. The UFW called for a boycott because the conditions in the grape-picking industry were so dangerous that grape pickers could not find jobs that offered humane treatment, clean drinking water, health or accident insurance, and basic sanitation for the workers in the agricultural camps. The College has been a part of the boycott--which is currently upheld at Yale, Stanford and Duke--since 1992. Other parts of the Harvard community are not currently under the grape boycott, though this is a perfect opportunity for them to express their support as well.

Unfortunately, the boycott has not yet been successful. However, this is no reason to lose hope or to waver in our support. The first battle seems to be in awareness: Harvard students need to be made aware that their grapes will most likely be from California, from the farms of those who refuse to listen to the call for humane treatment of their workers. The bad publicity and public-health risks that surrounded Chilean grapes in the late 80s nearly guarantees that Harvard will procure their grapes the quick and easy way, from the large and boycotted California grape producers.

The only bright note in this announcement is that the grapes have not yet arrived at our undergraduate tables. Protests, letters and comment cards are appropriate if not imperative forms of protest. We Harvard students still have time to take the facts of the boycott into account and keep grapes off our tables.