This Award Winner Gives Farm Workers a Voice

Each year, the JBF Leadership Awards honor five individuals responsible for creating a healthier, safer, and more sustainable food world. Our 2018 recipients come from all sectors of the food system, from retail to farming to the halls of Washington, D.C. Despite their disparate titles and roles, what unites these visionaries is their desire to see more equity, opportunity, and innovation in the journey from field to plate.

2018 Leadership Award honoree Ramon Torres founded Familias Unidas por la Justicia in the summer of 2013. An immigrant from Mexico and a migrant farm worker himself, Torres has helped to create the the first independent farm workers union led by indigenous workers in the United States. Familias Unidas por la Justicia now represents more than 500 Triqui, Mixteco, and Spanish-speaking workers at Sakuma Brothers Farms in Washington State. Learn more about Torres's work in the video above.

See the full list of 2018 and past Leadership Award recipients and learn more about the Awards.