High in Colorado’s fertile San Luis valley, the collision between Americans’ demand for cheap food and the reliance on cheap labour – including children as young as 12 – comes into stark relief. At nearly 2,500 metres (8,000ft) above sea level, the alluvial plain, known for vegetable production, lies far from the turmoil of Washington DC, where child labour laws have long been a flashpoint.
Farmers have grown vegetables here for generations, including for the US potato market, which supports, from cultivation to consumer, about 714,000 jobs and $34bn (£27bn) in wages. As well as potatoes, there are carrots and lettuce – produce that requires a high degree of manual labour.
