Stealth QR codes reveal 'secret menu' of restaurant food's hidden human costs

Every year, more than 60,000 seasonal agricultural workers arrive in Canada from Mexico, Jamaica and other Caribbean countries. On farms, they often endure exploitation, unsafe working conditions, substandard housing and lack of medical coverage. Recently, the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change partnered with creative agency Sid Lee to raise awareness about their plight.

In various popular restaurants, bars and other eateries in Toronto and Ottawa, the campaign covertly stuck QR code stickers to tables. Disguised as the codes that have become a familiar way to access restaurant menus, these QR codes took diners to The Secret Menu. Menu items like Bitter Strawberry Tart, Pesti-Side Fruit Salad and To-Die-For Sweet Potato Fries highlight the issues migrant workers face, from working 18-hour days picking strawberries to being exposed to dangerous pesticides without proper protective gear.

The guerilla campaign called on diners to sign a petition demanding rights for migrant workers.