The documentary "Food Chains" brings the problems of migrant farm workers in the United States' food system to mainstream light in a way seldom seen since Edward R. Murrow's 1960 TV documentary "Harvest of Shame," which forced American families to think about how their Thanksgiving dinner got to the table. More than 50 years later, the challenge for farm workers has developed from a lack of respect from farm owners to a lack of care from supermarkets.

"Food Chains" tells the story of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), Florida tomato pickers who struggle daily with mornings that start before the sun rises and shifts that end past dinner time. Paid per bucket of picked crops, a decent wage isn't guaranteed

"[The food movement] too often ignores the people who feed us ... who are less glamorous than celebrity chefs, but ultimately much more essential," Eric Schlosser, "Food Chains" executive producer and author of "Fast Food Nation," said in a Tuesday panel at New York City's Ford Foundation.

CIW is fighting to get supermarkets and fast food restaurants to join their Fair Food Program and pay farm workers an extra penny per pound of tomatoes picked, which they say would double their wages.

Directed by Sanjay Rawal, ("Challenging Impossibility"), who went into debt making the movie, narrated by Forest Whitaker ("The Butler") and produced by Schlosser ("Food Inc."), Smriti Keshari ("Surfing 28 States: India"), actress Eva Longoria ("Desperate Housewives") and Hamilton Fish ("Hotel Terminus"), the documentary united a crew who each wanted to change how the food chain works.

Forest Woodward, "Food Chains" director of photography, got involved with the movie after working with Keshari in the short film "Capture: A Waves Documentary." In the spring of 2011, the two got a call from Rawal.

"This project jumped out at me as a perfect opportunity to reconnect with a couple of topics very close to my heart -- telling the stories of an often overlooked but fundamentally integral population in the states today, migrant farm workers," Woodward said in an interview with Latin Post. "My background (and Smriti's as well) speaking Spanish helped us to communicate and connect with the largely Hispanic population with whom we spent much of our time in the fields. It was particularly gratifying to think that through the simple telling of farm workers stories we might be able, in some small way, to show the dignity and importance of the work they do ... out of mind of most Americans who rely on the fresh fruits and vegetables they harvest."

Farm Workers' Struggles

In "Food Chains," Longoria, who adds commentary to the documentary, points out that the problems of farm workers, which include long hours, low pay and sometimes physical and sexual abuse, is a human rights issue.

Olivia Chopra, who worked for an immigration attorney at the Immokalee Housing and Family Services in 2013 and lives in Immokalee today, has spent much time working with Florida farm workers and has experienced their multi-faceted struggles.

"Farm workers' are an extremely vulnerable population -- generally un- and under-educated, doing back-breaking work for far below minimum wage," she told Latin Post. "There is not work in Immokalee all-year round. Many families have to migrate north to find work or live off the wages they earned during the season (roughly November through May). They work extremely hard to live in poverty. "

According to a 2012 report by the National Center for Farmworker Health (NCFH), there are over 3 million migrant and seasonal farm workers in the United States, and 48 percent of them are not legally permitted to work in the country.

"Threatening to report a victim and their family to Immigration and Customs Enforcement is one of the many manipulation tactics used by abusers," Chopra said. "All workers, regardless of immigration status, want to continue seeing the changes that the Fair Food Program has started in Florida tomato fields."

Meanwhile, the physical labor is something to which most Americans cannot relate, all for an average annual salary of $12,500 to $14,999, according to NCFH.

"I am not sure that the 'average' American could imagine the level of physical effort it takes to bend over, pick tomatoes, run down the line to a truck, throw a 32-plus pound bucket up in the air and run back to repeat the process for eight to nine hours a day," Chopra said. "It is physically exhausting and dangerous work that provides few benefits beyond poverty wages."

"Food Chains" Brings Hope for Change

While "Food Chains" aims to spread awareness about the injustice that farm workers face, it is mostly about change.

"What we really want more than anything is participation and support," Santiago Perez, a CIW member and migrant farm worker, told Latin Post in Spanish through a translator. "This film is not about charity. It's not about pity. It's about people becoming inspired to support farm workers and human rights so we can further expand this program."

"Food Chains" also follows a six-day hunger strike to get Publix, a large supermarket chain in Florida, to join their Fair Food Program and pay farm workers an extra penny per pound of tomatoes.

Publix, however, argues that farm workers' wages is a labor dispute and thus should be handled by the company's suppliers, not Publix.

"The documentary 'Food Chains' does not accurately portray Publix, the suppliers we partner with, or the working conditions of the people who pick the tomatoes that are sold in our stores," Maria Brous, Publix director of media and community relations, said in a statement to Latin Post. "From the earliest stages of this labor action by the CIW, we have made it clear that Publix is willing to pay the suggested extra penny per pound of tomatoes, and more. We have publicly and repeatedly offered to pay more for tomatoes if our suppliers will put that penny in the price they charge to us. That is what we mean when we say, 'put it in the price.'"

Although Publix remains firm in its stance and even has a page on its website rationalizing its refusal to join the program, the chain remains successful with annual profits at $2 billion, according to "Food Chains." Last month, Publix won the No. 1 spot in Biz Journal's Tampa Bay Business 100 list with a reported 2013 revenue of $28.92 billion.

"In my opinion they are able to continue doing business because they haven't seen any change to their bottom line," Chopra said. "Change has to come from the consumer."

Although Publix has yet to budge on joining CIW's Fair Food Program, the hope is that "Food Chains" will put even more public pressure on the company, and others, to reconsider.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to bring more large corporate buyers to the table so that they'll sign off on agreements with us so we can support the Fair Food Program," Perez said. "It's a big dream that we have, and we believe that it will become reality, that we'll be able to not only have the Fair Food Program in Florida, but we will be able to expand it to other states and other crops as well."

In a statement to Latin Post, Judge Laura Safer Espinoza, director of the Fair Food Standards Council, said that the power for change comes from consumers.

"The movie is a perfect prequel to the wonderful story unfolding today in Florida's tomato fields through the Fair Food Program ... a story of a partnership between workers, buyers and growers that is creating what experts are describing as the best workplace environment in U.S. agriculture," the statement said. "Consumers have and continue to harness the power of the market as a force for good to eliminate abuse and move to a gold standard of prevention."

Meanwhile, Woodward, who admitted that "Food Chains" was Rawal, Smriti and his first feature length film, said in the three years it took to make the movie, it came bigger than expected.

"I think the tone of the movie comes from a place of community, of acknowledging the extent to which we are all connected, from the top of the food chain to the bottom, and that no human life is disposable -- that we all deserve to live a dignified life," he said. "If you are reading this, and the next time you see someone working in the fields you experience a feeling of gratitude towards them, a respect for who they are and what they do -- well then at least in a very small way I will feel like we have succeeded."

During Tuesday's panel, Longoria emphasized the effectiveness of the personal stories told in "Food Chains."

"Documentaries are the greatest ways to humanize issues," she said. "These people who feed us go to bed hungry every night."

"Food Chains" will be playing in theaters across the country in both English and Spanish starting Friday.

"If we do well, we'll actually have the chance to start dialogue in the country," Rawal said Tuesday.

A petition to support CIW's Fair Food Program can be found here.

"Much of our success, however, depends on the actions and willingness of our audience not just to feel, but to truly engage in the subject and move forward with the confidence of affecting positive change in their own communities," Woodward said.

Watch the "Food Chains" the trailer below:

Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar.

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