There are over 2 million farm workers in the U.S., and they are the backbone of our $200 billion agricultural industry. Farm work is one of the most dangerous occupations, with workers routinely experiencing injuries, pesticide exposure, heat stress, lack of shade, and inadequate drinking water. Farm workers are excluded federally from most labor laws, such as the right to unionize or earn overtime pay. They are some of the poorest workers in the U.S.
It is the great paradox of our food system: the very people who work to feed the U.S. struggle to feed their own families.
