Wal-Mart Stores to Improve Treatment of Mexico Farm Laborers After Los Angeles Times Report Damages Image

Wal-Mart wants to find ways to improve their reputation by treating the company's Mexican laborers better.

Fox News Latino reports over 1 million laborers work on farms in Mexico that supply produce to U.S. Wal-Mart locations. After an 18-month investigation by The Los Angeles Times revealed some of these workers were not provided with beds, adequate food and water supplies and suffered other harsh working conditions, Wal-Mart wants to make things better with Mexico.

The Mexican government and Wal-Mart will work together to improve housing, enforce wage laws and improve schools and health care for these workers.

Mexico's Security of Agriculture Enrique Martinez y Martinez calls the move to improve these conditions "historic."

"This effort is aimed at leveraging the work of a broader coalition to improve the lives of workers, including making it clear that Wal-Mart's standards do not tolerate working conditions as described in the LA Times," Wal-Mart said. "We do not want to work with suppliers unless they share this commitment."

Wal-Mart wants workers on farms who provide the company with produce to be treated with "respect and dignity." Future sites outside suppliers plan to use must meet Wal-Mart standards.

The alliance between the produce industry groups seeks to improve conditions at 90 percent of Mexico's growers and distributors that provide produce exports to the United States. The industry profits over $7.5 billion per year.

"We're optimistic and encouraged that the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture ... seems to be taking a leading role in the [alliance] by working closely with producers in Mexico," Wal-Mart said.

Wal-Mart hopes conditions can be improved and Mexico's laborers are treated fairly so that the company can avoid any future bad press. Last summer, The New York Times reported at least eight Wal-Mart executives from Mexico, India and the U.S. left the company amid corruption investigations by the newspaper.

What do you think about Wal-Mart treating its Mexican laborers better? Will this make the company look better? Leave us a comment below and let us know what you think.