Activists in the United States are celebrating victory after two years of protesting against the fast-food giant Taco Bell's tolerance of labour exploitation by its suppliers.

In a welcome move on 8 March, Taco Bell, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, agreed to work with Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a Florida-based farm workers organisation, to address the exploitation of mainly migrant farm workers in Florida's tomato industry.

In February 2003, CIW launched a nationwide boycott of Taco Bell protesting against the "sweatshop conditions" tomato pickers were subjected to. Tomato pickers suffered "sub-poverty wages, no right to overtime pay, no right to organise without fear of being fired, no health insurance, no sick leave, no paid holidays or paid vacation, and no pension", CIW said in 2003.

Following Taco Bell's agreement to work with CIW to raise labour standards throughout the industry, Yum! Brands senior vice president Jonathan Blum declared: "We are challenging our tomato suppliers to meet those higher standards and will seek to do business with those who do. We have already added language to our Supplier Code of Conduct to ensure that indentured servitude by suppliers is strictly forbidden, and we will require strict compliance with all existing laws."

It is vital companies are held accountable for the labour used in each stage of production, including that used by their suppliers, ensuring laws which protect against the exploitation and forced labour of workers are enforced.