http://www.consumersinternational.org/media/485589/the%20story%20behind%20the%20pineapples%20sold%20on%20our%20supermarket%20shelves%20final.pdf

As you can see, these “poor pineapple farmers” are for the most part large agribusinesses that use lots of chemicals. The workers in these agribusinesses receive only 4% of the take, earning around $100 an 80-hour work week and suffering various ailments. Plus, 70% of them are Nicas, not Ticos, and many of the Nicas are illegal.

I’m hard-pressed to find a reason why CR would want to see this industry expand, which is really the only issue in the proposed legislation, since I can’t see how Ticos benefit much from it.

At the same time, I do urge caution,since however unappealing, the pineapple industry does contribute something.

Most interesting to me in the report was the reference to the smaller pineapple farms that don’t use the same amount of chemicals (although nothing is said about their labor practices). Smart policy might encourage these while discouraging some of the big companies from expanding.

The major health problem I noticed was the failure of the workers to have adequate protection against the chemicals they were using, not only on the larger fincas but at the small farm level as well.

As with everything else, CR always thinks the answer is more tax.