Farm work is one of the most dangerous occupations
and worst paying jobs in the country. Farmworkers
endure impoverished living conditions, intensive
physical labor, chronic pesticide exposure, racial
discrimination and exploitation, deplorable wages
with little or no benefits, and long working days
in hazardous working conditions. They generally
live in labor camps or substandard housing, shanties
in racially segregated areas, or in dilapidated
trailers on back dirt roads, invisible to the hundreds
of thousands of tourists, retirees, and long-time
residents who find the “good life” in
Florida. Despite these hardships, farmworker
families somehow retain a spirit of community,
faith, and hope – surviving on pride and
determination.
Did You Know?
- Farmworkers suffer the highest rate of chemical-related
illness of any occupational group (source:
Environmental Protection Agency).
- Agriculture is consistently ranked among the
five most hazardous occupations by the U.S. Department
of Labor.
- In a single day’s labor during peak season,
a typical farmworker handpicks, while leaning
from a ladder, three and a half tons of oranges,
or stoops to pick about 3,000 pounds of tomatoes
(source: “Farmworkers in Southwest Florida:
Final Report”, F. Roka, D. Cook).
- In 2000, the median income for migrant and
seasonal workers was $6,250, compared to $42,000
for U.S. workers overall (source: National Agricultural
Workers Survey)
- According to the 1997-98 findings of the National
Agricultural Workers Survey, nearly three-quarters
of U.S. farmworkers earn less than $10,000 per
year and three out of five farmworker families
have incomes below the poverty level.
- Though farmworker wages have increased slightly
over the last decade, after adjustment for
inflation, they have actually decreased by
5%. (National Center
for Farmworker Health).
- There is no protection under federal or state
law for farmworkers to organize a union, work
overtime, take sick leave, or for those who are
laid off from their jobs.
- According to the 1997-98 findings of the National
Agricultural Workers Survey, the average age
for farmworkers is 31; 80% are men; 84% speak
Spanish; 12% are able to speak English; and the
median level of education is the 6th grade.
- A 2001 housing study found that 22% of farmworker
housing units had serious structural problems,
and 26% of the units were directly adjacent to
pesticide-treated fields. The same study
also found that 29% of farmworkers paid more
than 30% of their income for housing. (National
Center for Farmworker Health)
- According to the National Advisory Council
on Migrant Health, migrant health centers provide
accessible care for farmworkers, but existing
centers have the capacity to serve fewer than
20% of the nation’s farmworkers.
- Exposure to the elements, pesticides, and dangerous
equipment are common in farm labor. Falls,
heat stress, dehydration, and pesticide poisoning
are frequent injuries. However, agriculture
is not subject to the safety legislation that
protects workers in other industries. (National
Center for Farmworker Health)
- The EPA estimates that 300,000 farmworkers
are poisoned by pesticides each year.
- Hispanic-Latinos are now the largest racial
minority in the U.S. and represent 14 percent
of the nation’s total population (41.3
million), according to the U.S. Census Bureau
data of September 2005. The data also projects
that the Hispanic population as of July 1, 2050
will be 102.6 million. According to this projection,
Hispanics will constitute 24 percent of the nation’s
total population by that date.
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