I personally love cashews. They're one of my favorite nuts. So it was a huge disappointment when I discovered how they're produced.

The cashews at the grocery store are processed by hand. Cashew nuts contain an acid that will burn the fingers and eyes of the workers who process them. They could wear gloves but because they are paid by weight they need to move as fast as possible. The gloves slow them down and so they often forgo safety in order to make a living.

Whenever an agricultural product is industrialized and sold on a global market for commodity prices there are always negative consequences.

Our current food system is a cruel place. The most vulnerable people in our global community are the ones who take the brunt of the abuse so that we can enjoy cheap prices. But without those cashew factories those women might not have a job at all. It's a conundrum.

I think in the very least we could give thanks to the hard working farmers and workers who produce our food. Acknowledging that they exist is the first step in changing our food system.