People of faith should support a sustainable and just food system. This means one that pays attention to its many interconnected components: growing, producing, transporting, purchasing, consuming, and recovering food. An essential part of this system are the farmworkers.
In the United States, between 2-3 million people harvest, primarily by hand, the fruit and vegetable crops that eventually make their way to our dinner table. Texas is one of the top six states in farmworker populations, and these workers represent some of the most vulnerable and economically disadvantaged among us. The COVID-19 pandemic has only underscored this situation.
When the pandemic hit, farmworkers were deemed “essential,” and had to continue to report to work. The result has been outbreaks among farmworkers all over the country, including farms in New York, Tennessee, California, and others. Florida’s farmworker population was not only particularly hard-hit, but also unfortunately became a target of blame for the state’s rise in cases.
Farmworkers labor in fields very close together, and often without protective equipment. Added to that, many farms provide housing for their workers, which means they live and travel to the worksite together. These conditions have only exacerbated the spread of the extremely contagious virus.
Asking for testing or protection proves difficult for many farmworkers because of several barriers. Many speak Spanish only, and approximately half of the farmworker population are undocumented. This means they may fear retaliation or threat of deportation if they speak out. Added to that, most don’t have health insurance or qualify for paid sick leave or even unemployment. Although a third of farmworkers do not make enough income to exceed the federal poverty line, their pay is essential to them and often families back in their home country. Therefore, they continue to show up to work every day despite placing their lives at risk.
While the Centers for Disease Control has issued very specific guidelines addressing farmworker workplace protections against COVID-19, these are recommendations only. There remains little federal regulation or national standard, leaving it up to individual states to take action if they see fit. Some governors, including Washington, California, and Oregon have responded. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s order requires supplemental paid sick leave to fill in the gaps left by federal legislation. (The last package of COVID-19 legislation provided some protection in the way of sick leave for farmworkers, but only for farms with 50-500 workers.)
Nevertheless, the administration continues to fight these efforts. Recently an MOU between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration was issued stating that the agencies may invoke the Defense Production Act to override any state actions that cause “food resource facility closures or harvesting disruption [that] could threaten the continued functioning of the national food supply chain.” Bruce Goldstein, president of Farmworker Justice, called the MOU a “cold-blooded approach [to] the potential for widespread illness and death of farmworkers.” He added, “The Administration is claiming the right to prohibit states and local governments from requiring workplace safety precautions that might reduce the food supply while saving the lives of people needed in the food system.”
More action is needed at the federal level to ensure the safety of these critical workers as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread. Several proposals in Congress attempt to address these disparities, including the HEROES Act, which provides sick pay for more workers as well as deportation protections. Additionally, Congressman Jimmy Panetta, D-CA has sent a letter signed by 72 other members of Congress to House leadership encouraging funds to support free testing, education, and personal protection equipment. On the Senate side, Senator Jeff Merkley, D-OR, has proposed the FARM Laborers Protection Act to provide better compensation, sick pay, and protective provisions for workers.
In short, just as people of faith in the past have argued for protections for our farmworker population related to immigration issues and other labor protections, they must continue to speak out on COVID-19 as well. True food justice demands we take care of our brothers and sisters who sustain our food system.
What You Can Do:
- Call your Members of Congress, including Senators Cornyn and Cruz, and ask that the next COVID-19 relief legislation includes specific protections for farmworkers, including sick leave, free testing, personal protection equipment, and deportation protections. Find your Members of Congress here.
- Support organizations fighting for this population so critical to our food supply. These include: United Farm Workers, Farmworker Justice, National Farmworker Ministry, and National Center for Farmworker Health.
- Pray for these farmworkers and their families. Educate your congregation on the lives of these important neighbors and the challenges they face.