Longoria supports message in ‘Harvest’

By E.J. TAMARA

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES

Eva Longoria says she lent her support to “The Harvest,” a documentary about child migrant laborers, not just because of her Latin American roots but also because she wants to know where her food comes from and take responsibility for it.

In the United States, harvesting work tends to be done by migrants of Latin American origin, but Longoria’s interest in the subject didn’t spring from that, but from the children who are growing up in the fields, the “Desperate Housewives” star says.

“I eat food and I’m a responsible human being and if you are responsible, you have to know where your food comes from.”

Twenty-five percent of the food we eat in the United States is harvested by children, Longoria said in a phone interview from the set of “Desperate Housewives,” now shooting its final season. Every year, more than 400,000 children work in U.S. fields, according to the documentary.

“You have to be aware of the practices that are used to get the food we are eating,” said the actress, who as executive producer of “The Harvest,” raised nearly $1 million for the film, which will be released on DVD today.

“The Harvest” tells the story of three children who work as field laborers in Florida, Michigan and Texas to help their parents.

Longoria says the most touching scene of the film for her is one in which 12-year-old Zulema Lopez fears she’ll have to work in the fields her entire life, remarking, “I don’t even think about having dreams.”

“That was heartbreaking,” Longoria said.