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Soupergirl fighting 'modern-day slavery' in vegetable farming

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June 20, 2022

Washington D.C.-based Soupergirl's "Fair Food certified" gazpachos are now available in select Whole Foods Market stores.

The label certifies that the tomatoes used in the soups are grown on farms that maintain the highest level of protection for the human rights of the men and women who harvested them, according to a company press release. The national program is run by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a worker-based non-profit organization that fights labor abuse on farms.

"We are so proud to sell Soupergirl's gazpachos at Whole Foods Market and hope more brands and retailers are encouraged to get behind the Fair Food Program mission," Erik Brown, executive leader of produce at Whole Foods Market, said in the release. "We can't wait for our customers to enjoy these delicious products and learn more about the work that goes into the Fair Food label."

Too many farm laborers in America who pick fruits and vegetables are routinely abused, with the Justice Department charging two dozen defendants in November for engaging in what it calls "modern-day slavery," according to Soupergirl CEO Sara Polon, who is trying to initiate change in the food industry.

"We are honored to sell the first packaged products in America that contain only Fair Food tomatoes, ensuring that the farm workers who picked those tomatoes were protected against the inhumane treatment that is so common in agriculture," she said in the release. "But we are a small company and hope that we are only the first of many, many firms that commit to source Fair Food and thus advance fair practices and safety for migrant workers on a larger scale."

Founded in 2008 by a mother-daughter duo, the company cooks plant-based, healthy, certified-kosher soups and gazpachos.