Investing in Farmworker Health

How Research Can Help Protect the People Who Produce Our Food

Published Apr 21, 2023

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Federal agencies are underfunding research on farmworker health, including areas that urgently need attention.

The millions of US farmworkers who produce our food face a multitude of health hazards. Yet US law and employers afford them only limited protections.

This analysis highlights the need for robust research from federal agencies. We recommend that the USDA increases funding for research on farmworker health in the next food and farm bill. Further, federal funding should encourage cross-agency collaboration, prioritize research on the combined impacts of climate change and multiple pesticide exposures, and create opportunities to serve populations underrepresented in current research.

Citation

Union of Concerned Scientists. 2023. Investing in Farmworker Health: How Research Can Help Protect the People Who Produce Our Food. Cambridge, MA. https://doi.org/10.47923/2023.15063

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