Many years ago, when I worked with children of all ages, I would often pose questions about food on our table after lunch breaks. I asked, where do our fruits, vegetables, nuts and other items come from? To my surprise, all the hands went up with excitement. The looks on their faces made me smile. My students were between 10 and 11 years old. The hardest part was choosing who to call on first. As I glanced at their smiling faces, I decided to put them into groups of 5 to teach them how to work together as a team. Their answers surprised me.
They all had the same beliefs about our daily meals. They all stood up with confidence and shared with me that our food comes from the local grocery store. I discovered they had no idea of how vegetables and fruits were grown so that we could have a healthy diet and a full belly. As soon as the bell rang for the students to go home, I ran to the principal's office to get permission to talk to parents to plan a road trip to visit farms in Fresno, Monterey, and Kern counties, all in the San Francisco Bay Area. In every class, I discussed the importance of having farmworkers and the lack of fair treatment they received for their hard work. I learned that between 1/3 and 1/2 of all farmworkers in America reside in California, or roughly 500,000 to 800,000 farmworkers. Studies inform us that 75% of farmworkers in California are undocumented.
After the devastation of the recent presidential election in America, I fear that everything will become worse as the hatred and discrimination against groups of people doing the work that those yelling would not even try to do to put food on the table. It's alarming when someone in the highest position in America encourages so much hatred against a class of people trying to survive. National labour Relations laws do not apply to farmworkers. They are exempt from the Fair Labour Standards Act protections, including minimum wage and hour guarantees, overtime pay, and mandatory breaks for rest and meals. My students discovered that 78% of farmworkers lack a high school diploma or equivalent. Hispanic workers make up 96% of all farmworkers in California, with 65% of U.S.-born workers identifying as Hispanic.
Farmworkers are the backbone of our global food system, labouring tirelessly to plant, cultivate, and harvest the fruits, vegetables, and grains that sustain our lives. Without their efforts, the fresh produce on our tables and the ingredients that feed industries worldwide wouldn’t exist. They perform demanding physical work, often in extreme weather conditions, to ensure a steady food supply, yet their contributions are frequently overlooked.
While their role is indispensable, the reality of their lives remains invisible to most consumers. Behind the vibrant grocery store displays and farm-to-table dining experiences lies a workforce that endures low wages, unsafe conditions, and limited legal protections. The harsh truth is that the people who feed the world often struggle to feed themselves. Their labour fuels a trillion-dollar agricultural industry, yet systemic inequities keep many of them in cycles of poverty, exploitation, and marginalization.
As consumers, we rarely see the human cost of our food. Recognizing the essential role of farmworkers and addressing the injustices they face is not just about fairness—it’s about ensuring the sustainability and humanity of our global food systems. By acknowledging their struggles, we can begin to advocate for changes that uplift and protect the people who put food on our plates.
Justice for farmworkers in America is essential for several interrelated reasons, encompassing human rights, economic fairness, public health, and social equity. Here’s a detailed look at why justice for farmworkers is necessary:
Human Rights and Dignity
Basic Rights: Farmworkers often face violations of their basic human rights, including inadequate housing, unsafe working conditions, and lack of access to healthcare. Justice involves ensuring they are treated with dignity and respect.
Exploitation and Abuse: Many farmworkers, particularly those who are undocumented, are vulnerable to exploitation, abuse, and unfair treatment. Justice means protecting them from these injustices and providing legal recourse.
Economic Fairness
Low Wages: Farmworkers typically earn very low wages, often below the poverty line. Ensuring fair wages is a matter of economic justice, allowing workers to support themselves and their families.
Lack of Benefits: Many farmworkers do not receive benefits like health insurance, paid sick leave, or retirement plans. Justice includes providing these essential benefits to all workers.
Working Conditions
Health and Safety: Farmworkers are frequently exposed to hazardous conditions, including pesticide exposure, extreme hot or cold weather, and dangerous equipment. Justice involves enforcing safety standards and regulations to protect their health and well-being. Limited access to healthcare increases injuries, chronic pain, and illnesses caused by their work. COVID-19 highlighted the vulnerability of farmworkers, many of whom lacked proper protective equipment or sick leave.
Physical Demands: The physically demanding nature of farmwork can lead to chronic health issues and injuries. Providing adequate rest periods, ergonomic tools, and medical care is part of ensuring justice.
Legal Protections
Labour Rights: Farmworkers are often excluded from labour laws that protect other workers, such as the right to unionise and bargain collectively. Extending these protections to farmworkers is essential for justice.
Immigration Status: Many farmworkers are immigrants, some of whom are undocumented. Providing a pathway to legal status and protecting their rights regardless of immigration status is crucial.
Social Equity
Discrimination: Farmworkers, many of whom are from minority groups, often face racial and ethnic discrimination. Justice involves addressing and eliminating these discriminatory practices. I feel that it will never happen in my lifetime.
Access to Services: Ensuring farmworkers have access to essential services such as education, healthcare, fair housing, and legal assistance promotes social equity.
Economic Stability and Productivity
Labour Shortages: Ensuring fair treatment and conditions for farmworkers can help stabilise the agricultural workforce, preventing labour shortages that impact food production and prices.
Public Health
Food Safety: Healthy and well-treated farmworkers are crucial for maintaining high standards of food safety and quality. Justice for farmworkers helps ensure the overall health of the food supply chain.
Community Health: Addressing the health needs of farmworkers also benefits the broader community by reducing the spread of diseases and promoting public health.
Moral and Ethical Responsibility
Ethical Consumption: Consumers are increasingly aware of the conditions under which their food is produced. Ensuring justice for farmworkers aligns with ethical consumption practices and corporate social responsibility.
Moral Imperative: Beyond practical reasons, there is a moral imperative to treat all workers fairly and justly. It reflects the values of fairness, compassion, and justice that are foundational to a just society.
Policy and Advocacy
Legislative Change: Advocating for and implementing policies that protect farmworkers' rights is a critical aspect of achieving justice. This includes reforms in labour laws, immigration policies, and health and safety regulations.
Community Support: Building community support and awareness about the issues farmworkers face can drive societal change and foster a more inclusive and equitable society.
Many farmworkers, especially those who are undocumented or migrant workers, face discrimination based on the colour of their skin, ethnicity, or immigration status. Employers of farmworkers may exploit their fear of deportation by withholding wages, threatening termination, or ignoring complaints about unsafe working and living conditions. Sexual harassment, assault, and rape are pervasive, particularly among women farmworkers, who often lack safe reporting channels. The fear of 'what if' keeps them in chains while the verbal and physical abuse continues.
Is it possible to make things better? Well, addressing these challenges requires systemic changes, including stronger labour protections, better access to healthcare, and more equitable wages. Justice for farmworkers means recognising their essential contributions to society and treating them with the dignity they deserve.
Justice for farmworkers is not only a matter of improving the lives of those who work tirelessly to provide essential food products but also a critical component of building a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable society. Ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, legal protections, and social equity for farmworkers is necessary for upholding human rights and promoting overall societal well-being. When I listen to the words of the President of the United States, I am convinced that everything will be done to destroy immigrants, refugees, and all people of colour, even the ones who voted for him and believe his numerous lies as he continues to make America laughable to the rest of the world.
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