National Farm Worker Ministry an interfaith organization supporting farm workers as they organize for justice member organizations include nearly 40 national, state and local religious bodies
They shall not plant and another eat; - Isaiah 65:21
When we pray and act with them, we are changed also.
- Gen Cassani, SSND
NFWM Board
Farm Worker Conditions
The food that overflows our market shelves and fills our tables is harvested by men, women, and children who often cannot satisfy their own hunger - Cesar Chavez
Many thanks to David Oddo, who researched and wrote the following pages on farm worker conditions.
Photo - NFWM Archives
A 2000 report on the health of California farmworkers, sponsored by the California Endowment, found that "no group of workers in America faces greater barriers in accessing basic health services. (Washington Post, October 12, 2007) Full story
Physicians treating farm workers generally compare their health to that of residents of the developing world. Farm workers suffer from chronic infections, advanced untreated diseases, and numerous problems resulting from limited access to medical care. (Daniel Rothenberg, With These Hands: The Hidden World of Migrant Farmworkers Today.)
Infant mortality rates among farm worker children are double the national average. (Ibid.)
The average life expectancy of a farm worker in the United States is forty-nine years. (Bugarin and Lopez, "Farm workers in California." California State Library. California Research Bureau. 1998.)
Farm workers suffer higher incidences of heat stress, dermatitis, influenza, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and pesticide-related illnesses than other occupational groups. Few, if any, farm workers have health insurance; and very few are covered through Medicaid. ("United States Farm worker Fact Sheet." Student Action With Farmworkers.) Depression is common among farmworker adults, where it is often related to isolation, economic hardship, and weather conditions. In addition, poverty, stress, mobility, and lack of recreational opportunities make farmworkers especially vulnerable to substance abuse. (www.ncfh.org)
Migrant workers don't generally earn enough to pay for health care, and they almost never have health insurance. They may also lack transportation to the clinic or, since they don't receive sick leave, be afraid of losing wages or even losing their jobs if they take time off to seek health care. The U.S. Public Health Service funds some migrant health centers to help provide care to farmworkers, but not nearly enough to meet the need. (www.ncfh.org)
Although farmworkers fit the eligibility profile for assistance programs such as Medicaid, Temporary Aid to Needy Families, and Social Security Insurance, few can actually obtain benefits. This is because of enrollment and eligibility standards that are not designed to accommodate people who must move frequently to find work, or whose income may fluctuate dramatically during the agricultural season even though their annual wages are below the poverty level. Also, many farmworkers do not understand that they are eligible for benefits and so do not apply.
A 2000 report on the health of California farmworkers, sponsored by the California Endowment, found that "no group of workers in America faces greater barriers in accessing basic health services. (Washington Post, October 12, 2007)