TUBAC, AZ — Leaders in Mexico's produce industry indicate that they -- and their counterparts -- fully recognize that matters of social responsibility are not only morally correct, but also important to the future of their business community.

Panelists spoke about this Oct. 30 during an educational session at the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas annual convention, here Oct. 30-Nov. 1, at the historic Tubac Golf Resort, which is a 20-minute drive north of Nogales, AZ. Moderating the educational sessions was Lance Jungmeyer, FPAA president.

Speaking on the panel were Guillermo Martinez, general manager of Del Campo Supreme in Rio Rico, AZ; Alicia Martin, an owner of Wilson Produce, based in Nogales; Juan Laborin, director general of the Hermosillo Grape Growers Association (AALPUM) in Hermosillo, Sonora; and Berenice Martinez, technical director-food safety projects and certification at Mexico Calidad Suprema, located in Mexico City.

Laborin indicated that AALPUM plays an active role in encouraging its grower-members to boost the lives, housing and health of its employees. Laborin later explained to The Produce News that his organization has no definitive authority over its members but very effectively uses its influence to highlight its most aggressive members as role models for the broad membership.

Laborin said that many AALPUM members offer medical and dental services to all of their employees. Some farms contain schools for workers' children, while other members help such children attend schools that are outside the farm.

Laborin noted that leadership in social responsibility is an opportunity at this time. "We don't want to wait and react," he said, adding that some members are already FairTrade certified, while others are focusing on minimizing the carbon footprint of their operations.  

"We want to see all of these things," he said. "We are working for the long-term."

AALPUM's work toward social responsibility includes cooperating with the Mexican government on available programs.

"You have no choice but to treat your people very well to have a good product," Laborin noted.

Martinez of Del Campo said his great-grandfather came to Mexico as a child stowaway fleeing China. The great-grandfather worked very hard to become a success. Thus, the legacy of respecting workers' lives has deep roots at Del Campo.

As he built his business, the great-grandfather "needed people to get things done and get things done right," Martinez said. "You need people to make things happen so you need to make things right for those people."

Thus, if workers are treated well and better trained, they will be more enthusiastic and more motivated. "We learned this over the years, said Martinez. "You have to be keeping up with change. It is a constant evolution to do things right."

Martin of Wilson Produce said her grandfather started Wilson Produce in the 1930s. The families of initial workers worked for "my parents and now me." Collectively, "We are a family of farmers, and taking care of our people is something my grandparents taught me."

Martinez said his firm, which employs 2,000 workers, enjoys a seasonal employee return rate of about 80-90 percent. Del Campo managers interview those workers to inquire why they return. They note it is a combination of benefits, including the school, childcare, housing and medical services.

"The people want to be there," said Martinez. "They know our practices and take more pride" in working for Del Campo. Four percent of Del Campo's annual sales income goes into social programs for its workers.

Such socially responsible practices are also important to Del Campo customers, but Martinez noted that his firm was socially responsible long before it was politically correct to be so.

The same is true in the Mexican farms of Wilson Produce. But Martin added that the high sophistication of social media enables concerned consumers to know a great deal about the practices of their produce sources. She said that consumers want suppliers to be transparent and be supportive of social responsibility, including children's and women's rights.

Martin believes that, more than retailers, "it is the consumer that tells us what we need to do. If we are not going to pay attention, then we shouldn't be in business."

Laborin noted that the evolution of business is not going to be based upon what businesses are the strongest today. Instead, success will come to the companies that "move and change. We have to move and act fast. All of this pays off, by far, just for the business part. But the business part doesn't come first."