Reynolds Continues to Avoid Responsibility for its Repressive Tobacco Supply Chain

Reynolds, which earns $2 billion in annual profits and whose top executives can receive up to $60 million in bonuses, is in the dominant position to resolve the abuse and exploitation that is rampant in the tobacco fields of the South. Yet the corporation has refused to even talk with FLOC about possible solutions.

As community support has grown, pressure has increased on Reynolds to take responsibility for the exploitation that its supply system causes. In response, the company has continually attempted to deflect criticism by spreading mis-information about the tobacco procurement system and about FLOC as an organization.

Reynolds American has issued a statement which portrays FLOC as attacking the corporations' record of "social responsibility".  Issuing such a statement itself, its tone, and the falsehoods and misleading statements indicate that the corporation is feeling popular pressure about this issue. FLOC President Baldemar Velasquez, responded to the letter point by point, questioning the validity and biases in corporation's posture towards the farmworkers at the bottom of their supply chain. The FLOC response makes it clear that Reynolds is simply sidestepping the issues and attempting to pass on accountability for the disastrous effects of the system that generates its wealth.

Although Reynolds' letter was simply a weak attempt to avoid responsibility for the system they control, we look forward to continuing the debate and have posted it in its entirety on our website; we look forward to the day that Reynolds would be willing to do the same with the FLOC response.