NatureSweet campaign goes viral for honoring Mexican farmworkers

Zoom in: Since 2018, NatureSweet's "Associates Under the Label" program has featured QR codes on its tomato, cucumber and pepper packaging, which are sold nationwide. Scanning the code opens a video profile of a farmworker — complete with a name, sketch portrait and video interview.

• Many employees discuss the pursuit of education for themselves or their children.
• Featured workers are based in Mexican states like Nayarit, Colima and Jalisco.

The latest: The campaign gained new attention in June amid ICE-related protests across the country and after a TikTok post by @yocelim_catalan drew more than 500,000 likes.

• "This is the level of brand marketing I'm trying to see, especially as we see our Hispanic communities torn apart and labeled as criminals," TikTok user @yayago2 replied to the video.

What they're saying: "The program was inspired by a simple but powerful idea: Agricultural workers deserve to be seen," NatureSweet spokesperson Lori Castillo tells Axios. "The stories we share transcend borders and partisanship — they're about dignity, opportunity and hard work."

• NatureSweet has been certified by the Equitable Food Initiative since 2016 and became Fair Trade-certified in 2021 — meeting hundreds of standards on labor conditions, food safety and worker wellbeing.

Worthy of your time: NatureSweet is entering the conversation as U.S.-Mexico produce tensions rise. The company warned that the U.S. exit from the Tomato Trade Agreement on July 14 could trigger ripple effects across the supply chain.