Join us for a public screening of the documentary Food Chains on Wednesday, Oct. 2, from 5-7 p.m. in the Flex Theater at the HUB-Robeson Center. This event, held in collaboration with Penn State’s Hispanic Heritage Month Planning Committee, will include a live panel discussion with experts in food justice and labor rights.
Food Chains reveals the exploitation faced by farmworkers in the United States, focusing on the tomato fields of Florida. The film highlights the efforts of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, which developed the Fair Food Program to combat poverty and abuse in the agricultural industry.
The Fair Food Program asks major retailers, such as supermarkets and fast-food chains, to pay one penny more per pound of tomatoes and to stop purchasing from farms with human rights violations.
After the screening, a panel discussion will explore these issues in depth. Panelists include Hazel Velasco Palacios, Lauren Barnes and Justus Peña Berman, the new Latinx Community Coordinator at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center. The discussion will be moderated by Millie Rodriguez.
“Food Chains is an incredibly eye-opening and necessary film about the food we eat every day,” said Marta Plumhoff, event planner of this screening. “In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are proud to host a screening of this film, which not only raises awareness of the injustice faced by Hispanic farmworkers, but beautifully highlights their strength in fighting back against it.”
The event is free and open to the public, relevant for those passionate about topics such as food justice, labor rights, sustainability, and community engagement. Those who plan on driving to attend can park their cars in the HUB parking deck at an hourly rate, which is the closest available parking.