Stop Blood Tomatoes Act meant to curb Mexico labor abuses, lawmaker says

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-blood-tomatoes-20150515-story.html

By RICHARD MAROSI

A California congressman on Friday introduced a bill to ensure U.S. retailers rid their supply chains of child and forced labor — legislation inspired by The Times’ Product of Mexico series, which documented widespread abuses at export farms south of the border.

The Stop Blood Tomatoes Act, sponsored by Rep. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego), seeks to bring more oversight to the Mexican farms that supply much of the nation’s fruits and vegetables.

Under the proposal, large companies would have to get independent audits of their suppliers to certify that they do not use child or forced labor. The legislation would apply to companies in other industries that also import large quantities of goods from developing countries.

Vargas, the son of a migrant farmworker from Mexico, said the bill reflected consumers’ growing interest in knowing more about the goods they buy. Companies, he said, should be held accountable for abusive labor practices in their supply chains.

FULL story at link.