Farmworkers Feed America. Why Do We Let Them Suffer?

The statement describes the systemic marginalization of approximately 2.2 million U.S. farmworkers, who face dangerous working conditions, toxic pesticide exposure, and housing insecurity. It emphasizes how the threat of mass deportation and anti-immigrant rhetoric allows employers to bypass labor laws and increases worker vulnerability to climate-driven disasters. The author calls for specific policy interventions, including banning toxic pesticides and reinstating heat safety rules, while noting that anti-immigrant crackdowns threaten the national food supply.

• Approximately 2.2 million farmworkers operate in the U.S., with nearly half being undocumented. This status makes them susceptible to employer abuses, as workers often avoid reporting violations regarding shade, water, or pesticide protection to avoid deportation.
• Farmworkers face severe health risks from extreme heat and toxic chemicals, specifically paraquat and organophosphates, which are linked to cancers, reproductive issues, and neurological disorders.
• Low wages force farmworkers into substandard housing—including overcrowded trailers and makeshift camps—which increases their exposure to mold, lead, and the impacts of climate change such as wildfires, hurricanes, and extreme heat.
• Anti-immigrant policies and enforcement actions directly threaten the U.S. food supply. Examples include a 2011 Alabama law that left crops to rot and recent raids in Bakersfield, California, that led to immediate reports of worker shortages.

APA

Gutiérrez, N. (2025). Farmworkers Feed America. Why Do We Let Them Suffer? Earthjustice. https://earthjustice.org/experts/mily-trevino-sauceda/farmworkers-feed-america-why-do-we-let-them-suffer

Chicago

Gutiérrez, Nydia. Farmworkers Feed America. Why Do We Let Them Suffer? Earthjustice, 2025. https://earthjustice.org/experts/mily-trevino-sauceda/farmworkers-feed-america-why-do-we-let-them-suffer.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Gutiérrez |first1=Nydia |title=Farmworkers Feed America. Why Do We Let Them Suffer? |publisher=Earthjustice |date=17 March 2025 |url=https://earthjustice.org/experts/mily-trevino-sauceda/farmworkers-feed-america-why-do-we-let-them-suffer |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{gutirrez2025farmworkers, author = {Gutiérrez, Nydia}, title = {{Farmworkers Feed America. Why Do We Let Them Suffer?}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://earthjustice.org/experts/mily-trevino-sauceda/farmworkers-feed-america-why-do-we-let-them-suffer}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }