Hardship On Mexico's Farms, A Bounty For U.S. Tables

Hardship On Mexico's Farms, A Bounty For U.S. Tables
A Mexican farmer works on his plot in a chinampa --a floating artificial island created on lakes-- at the natural reserve Xochimilco, in Mexico City on June 6, 2014. AFP PHOTO/Alfredo ESTRELLA (Photo credit should read ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images)
A Mexican farmer works on his plot in a chinampa --a floating artificial island created on lakes-- at the natural reserve Xochimilco, in Mexico City on June 6, 2014. AFP PHOTO/Alfredo ESTRELLA (Photo credit should read ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images)

The tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers arrive year-round by the ton, with peel-off stickers proclaiming "Product of Mexico."

Farm exports to the U.S. from Mexico have tripled to $7.6 billion in the last decade, enriching agribusinesses, distributors and retailers.

American consumers get all the salsa, squash and melons they can eat at affordable prices. And top U.S. brands — Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, Subway and Safeway, among many others — profit from produce they have come to depend on.

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