It’s Time for Congress to Protect the Workforce That Puts Food on Our Tables

By Ron Estrada

There is no shortage of reasons to protect farmworkers. 

Our agriculture industry – responsible for food production and, by extension, food prices – relies on a myriad of factors, including a stable labor source. 

Farmworkers are not just the backbone of America’s food system but also fundamental to a thriving economy relying on production to meet demand. The need to protect this vital labor source is not only a moral imperative but an economic necessity. 

Farmworkers also embody a significant untapped pipeline for addressing the generational labor declines present in U.S. farming industries. They represent more than labor. They represent America’s agricultural future – a fact that is taking root in national conversations regarding our food security. 

Addressing a complex issue

Generally, labor shortage issues can be complex, and measures to address them are often either too expensive or lack consensus. 

In lieu of permanent policies, elected leaders have generally turned a blind eye to farm workforce policy reform, largely because farmwork labor policy is so entwined with immigration reform, and agricultural workers have typically been treated poorly, often not extended the same protections as other workers.  

There are currently bills introduced in Congress which aim to only expand the H-2A program, created solely to serve as a stopgap for farm labor shortage. These bills weaken protections for farmworkers – foreign and domestic – and thereby create opportunities for exploitation and abuse. 

When protections are strong for H-2A workers, it benefits and strengthens protections for U.S. workers. 

Upon returning to session this month, Congress should immediately stand with farmworkers and demand their vital role be recognized and safeguarded in law. 

Recently introduced bipartisan legislation in the House of Representatives addresses both parties’ priorities – border security and providing pathways to legal status for undocumented workers. 

Specifically, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act seeks to address our nation’s farm labor needs through a comprehensive approach. It provides undocumented farmworkers and their families with paths to legal immigration status. 

At the same time, as part of a negotiated compromise, it includes revisions to the federal nonimmigrant visa program for farmworkers – the H-2A program. These revisions address the critical needs of employers while also protecting the interests of workers. 

Addressing labor issues in the agriculture sector must include a pathway to legal status for U.S. workers as well as strong protections for H-2A workers. 

We need a permanent solution which will ensure a stable labor source to secure our food supply and economic stability. Whatever the consensus, one thing is certain – time is of the essence in agriculture.

Importance of a permanent solution

The long-term effect of such action would be to help establish a stable, respected and legally-protected farmworker labor force. A labor force that doesn’t live in poverty but rather participates in opportunities for economic mobility. 

Such a labor force would serve as the foundation of a resilient, fair and future-ready agricultural sector. 

When we invest in people and honor their dignity, we don’t just transform lives – we transform the future of the nation itself. 

As the son and grandson of farmworkers, I share the lived experience of farmworker families who’ve labored the fields for generations. 

Neither the agriculture industry nor the American consumer can afford for Congress to delay. 

The country recognizes the role of agricultural labor as fundamental to the economic and social prosperity of all Americans. Congress should do the same.

Ron Estrada is the chief executive officer of Farmworker Justice. This opinion column was originally published by AgriPulse on Sept. 1.