Farmworkers feed the world, and from March 25 through March 31, we work to honor their contributions to our daily lives and create awareness for the issues they face. 85% of the fresh fruit and vegetables we consume are hand-picked, and at Seward Co-op we like to remind ourselves and shoppers about the real cost of food, which includes the difficult—and often dangerous—work that goes into growing and harvesting the food that keeps our communities healthy.
Farmworkers deserve dignity and protection. There are an estimated three million farmworkers, including adults and children, that labor in the field in the United States. As our planet heats up and the climate changes, farmworkers suffer from high rates of heat exhaustion. Additionally, on non-organic and large-scale commercial farms that utilize pesticides, the workers who harvest and grow our food experience high rates of injuries due to the chemicals sprayed on plants to keep them pest and blight-free. Long hours in the fields lead to skin issues, urinary tract infections, and other bodily harm, not to mention time away from loved ones.
Unfortunately, farmworkers are not protected legally in the same way as many other people are in different industries. Joining a union, fair pay, and/or insurance are not guaranteed. Only as recently as 1978 were minimum wages mandated for farmworkers—and that’s exclusive to large-scale farms. It is our duty as a community of cooperators to rally in support of farmworkers locally and across the globe.
