LUCAS BENITEZ

CO-FOUNDER, COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS, IMMOKALEE

As a teenager, Benitez migrated from Guerrero, Mexico, to Immokalee to work in tomato fields. Meager wages, grueling conditions and exploitation spurred him to co-found the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in 1993. Ever since, he has advocated for justice in the agricultural industry and now stands as a leading voice for farmworkers in the U.S. Among his accomplishments, Benitez has helped champion the coalition’s Fair Food Program, a model for the agricultural supply chain that ensures equitable wages and working conditions for farmworkers. He has also helped uncover trafficking and modern-day slave labor cases on several farms, helping to free hundreds of farmworkers altogether. In 2023, he was awarded the University of Michigan’s prestigious Wallenberg Medal for his life-long dedication to human rights.