Imagine traveling on the private jet at Palm Beach or Tamiami or Opa Locka; you are headed to the Dominican Republic and the private resort, Case de Campo owned by Fanjul family corporate interests. You are a Congressman, a Senator, a top government official-- maybe even a former president. Maybe a lobbyist is on the tarmac to send you off, or, to fly on the jet with you. It takes a lot of sugar cubes to pay that freight. But sugar is not just made in historic Everglades wetlands. It also comes from sugar plantations not far from the Fanjul's luxurious Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic.
The 2007 documentary film, "Sugar Babies", captured the attention of Eyeonmiami readers in 2007. The film documented abused workers at sugar plantations in the Dominican Republic, including large plantations owned by Fanjul corporations. That year 'Sugar Babies' was slated to be shown at the Miami International Film Festival but, strangely, the film was pulled from the schedule at the last minute without explanation by festival executives. There was no notice of the omission by the mainstream press. Subsequently, the film festival director resigned. Still, no one from the mainstream press questioned the influence of his decision to pull the film on his resignation.
I noted that the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the major festival funder-- whose mission includes promoting and advocating freedom of speech and protection of journalists-- should have cancelled its funding for the Miami festival based on the withdrawal of 'Sugar Babies' that was shown to acclaim in many other film festivals across the country. Read our archive, under "Big Sugar". Although Miami audiences were denied a rare opportunity to see the sordid inside of the sugar industry in the Dominican Republic, the film eventually attracted the keen interest of US government officials. Today those Congressmen, Senators-- and golfing Presidents like Bill Clinton-- will have to think at least a little-- about miserable working conditions at nearby sugar plantations while they sip fruited cocktails at Casa de Campo. According to film maker Serrano, "the Dominican Republic and the sugar cane industry is (now) on the published list of products believed to be made from forced or child labor." That's big news. Here is the statement from the US Dept of Labor:
September 10, 2009
LABOR DEPT. PUBLISHES LIST OF PRODUCTS BELIEVED TO BE MADE WITH FORCED OR CHILD LABOR
The Department of Labor published today a list of 122 products from 58 countries that are believed to be made with child or forced labor. This list should concern global vendors and suppliers because it is likely to affect U.S. importers' assessment of risks associated with sourcing from particular countries and could increase consumer pressure for increased transparency and traceability of the listed products.
The products on the DOL list include the following.
Textiles and toys from China
Sugarcane from the Dominican Republic
Cotton from Uzbekistan
Diamonds and gold from the Democratic Republic of Congo
Garments from India and Jordan
This list has been published in accordance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, which also requires the DOL to take steps to ensure that the listed goods are not imported into the U.S., including working with producers to help set standards to eliminate the use of forced or child labor. Importers and exporters of the listed goods would be well-served to seek ways to participate in this process so that these standards reflect business realities and promote compliant practices. Importers and exporters should also begin moving now to ensure their own operations will pass muster, through measures such as assessing and understanding risk levels, strengthening compliance programs, ensuring due diligence on monitoring enforcement, developing and documenting best practices, and effectively communicating efforts to appropriate audiences.
The DOL list is only one of numerous efforts by the U.S. government to crack down on labor violations abroad. For instance, the 2008 Farm Bill requires the Department of Agriculture, with input from a consultative group composed of a wide variety of stakeholders, to issue by June 2011 guidelines for a voluntary initiative that will help companies address forced and child labor issues in the agriculture sector. These guidelines are expected to include standards for supply chain compliance and reflect the current trend toward monitoring and certification programs. In addition, a pending customs reauthorization bill would tighten existing statutory prohibitions on the importation of goods made with forced labor by (a) removing the "consumptive demand" clause, thereby eliminating an exemption that allows prohibited goods to be imported if the U.S. cannot produce enough of those goods to meet domestic demand, and (b) banning the importation of goods produced with trafficked labor. The bill would also prescribe specific civil penalties for those who import prohibited goods and create a new office within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to monitor imported products and enforce statutory prohibitions.
FOR OFFICIAL REPORT AND METHODOLOGY:
Click here: ILAB News Release: U.S. Labor Department issues reports on international child labor and forced labor [09/10/2009]
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