Wendy’s is the third-largest hamburger fast food chain in the world, with thousands of locations across the U.S., Canada, and several other countries. Since 2016, Wendy’s has been the target of a sustained boycott for refusing to join the Fair Food Program (FFP)—a legally binding initiative created by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) to protect farmworkers from wage theft, sexual harassment, and unsafe working conditions. While companies like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Subway have signed on to the FFP, Wendy’s remains an outlier, claiming its suppliers already meet ethical standards. However, without participation in the program, its tomato supply chain lacks independent oversight, leaving workers vulnerable to exploitation, including forced labor and human trafficking. The CIW has received a Presidential Medal for its work combating such abuses, and Wendy’s continued refusal has led to widespread protests, hunger strikes, and campus divestment campaigns.
Source
Ethical Consumer. (2024). Wendy's boycott over refusal to join Fair Food Program. Ethical Consumer. https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/wendys-boycott-fast-food
Wendy’s is rated Medium Impact due to its refusal to sign a proven, worker-led human rights program. While it is not directly complicit in state violence or apartheid, its resistance to transparent labor standards places it in direct opposition to farmworker rights. The Fair Food Program is widely recognized for its effectiveness in eliminating systemic abuses in agriculture, and Wendy’s non-participation signals a willful disregard for human rights in its supply chain. Its continued inaction, despite nearly a decade of public pressure, warrants its inclusion in this directory.