This weekend, Chance The Rapper accidentally brought back Wendy's Spicy Chicken Nuggets with a single tweet (and 2 million subsequent likes). Shortly thereafter, Amy Schumer announced the gender of her baby—a boy! who's finally here!—in a post asking fans to #BoycottWendys: "Instead of spicy nuggets, we want food that is harvested with dignity NOT violence," she wrote.
Alyssa Milano has since voiced her support of the campaign as well, which dates back to as early as 2005. The issue centers on The Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ Fair Food Program, which describes itself as "a partnership among farmers, farmworkers, and retail food companies that ensures humane wages and working conditions for the workers who pick fruits and vegetables on participating farms."
In March 2019, the New York Times reported the program currently benefits around 35,000 laborers, most of whom live in Florida. In the last decade, it has helped improve working conditions in the tomato industry, reducing incidences of violence and wage theft.
Wendy's is said to be the last major fast food company to not join the program; Subway and Burger King joined in 2008, McDonald's in 2007, and Yum Brands, which owns Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut, in 2005. Other partners include Whole Foods, Chipotle, Walmart, and Trader Joe's. In 2013, the Coalition officially began its campaign against Wendy's, urging the fast food company to join the Fair Food Program.
Protests against Wendy's have taken place in cities and on college campuses, where students are asking their universities to ban Wendy's restaurants from operating on the premises. A Wendy's spokesperson told the Times the company started buying tomatoes from indoor greenhouse farms largely in the U.S. and Canada; however, there are questions over whether or not those spaces have better working conditions.
Delish reached out to Wendy's for comment; here is their response in full:
This is a complex issue, but be assured that we do not purchase the field grown product that the Fair Food Program covers. In fact, Wendy’s is proud to only purchase tomatoes from indoor hydroponic North American farms. We are excited about the superior quality of these tomatoes, and this move further strengthens our commitment to responsible sourcing practices by providing safe, indoor working conditions, shelter from the elements and environmental contaminants, reduced water and land use burdens, and a significantly reduced need for chemical pesticides. Further, all of our suppliers must adhere to our Supplier Code of Conduct which includes requirements related to human rights and labor practices. You can find more information about our position on this matter on our blog.
[Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include Wendy's response.]
