PRI Profile

California Harvesters, Inc. (CHI) is a worker-owned agriculture company developed to address the crisis of farm labor by creating a more equitable model for farmworkers and providing a stable workforce to growers.

CHI’s theory of change is that enterprise models that share wealth with workers provide better working conditions as well as a higher quality of service, particularly in low-wage industries. By removing farm labor contractors (FLCs) as middlemen and distributing ownership to workers, CHI enables workers to earn higher wages, receive benefits and training, and gain respect and dignity through ownership. The result is a more stable livelihood and household for farm workers.

Highlights

CHI engaged the Fair Food Standards Council to assess farmworker experience with regard to factors such as sexual harassment, issues with hours and pay, and challenges with health and safety. The assessment found that a respectful work environment was a major driver in farmworkers’ decisions to work for CHI.