About Us

Established in 1983, the Farmworker Association of Florida (FWAF) is a statewide, grassroots, community-based, non-profit, farmworker membership organization with over 10,000 Haitian, Hispanic, and African American members and five offices in the state of Florida, working for social and environmental justice with farmworkers.

Vision and Mission

The Farmworker Association of Florida’s long-standing mission is to build power among farmworker and rural low-income communities, to respond to and gain control over the social, political, economic, workplace, health, and environmental justice issues that impact their lives.

Our guiding vision is a social environment where farmworkers’ contribution, dignity, and worth are acknowledged, appreciated, and respected through economic, social, and environmental justice. This vision includes farmworkers being treated as equals, and not exploited and discriminated against based on race, ethnicity, gender, or immigrant or socioeconomic status.

In keeping true to the organization’s mission and guiding vision, FWAF’s core strategy is to help farmworkers realize and build upon their power to be effective agents of social and personal change by:

Toward this goal, FWAF’s programs and activities build leadership, civic engagement, and activist skills among low-income communities of color who are disproportionately affected by pesticide exposure/health problems, environmental contamination, institutional racism, harassment and intimidation, exploitation, and political under-representation.

"Starting as an intern in 2020, FWAF has shown me the resilience and tenacity that community organizers and the members have regarding their own communities. I have witnessed FWAF helping diligently during COVID-19."
Romero Adolfo
Intern

Who We Serve

The Farmworker Association of Florida (FWAF)  works in communities composed of low-income, Latinx and other ethnic-minority, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, many of whom are documented or undocumented immigrants, with little or no formal education, and who speak little if any English. The membership is 94% Latinx (predominately Mexican and Central American), 3% Haitian, and 3% African American. Approximately 60% are undocumented and approximately 40% are women. A large percent live in overcrowded, substandard rental housing, and have no health insurance or worker benefits.

"It is very important to do what we are doing, because we are feeding our children in a healthy way, without chemicals and pesticides that are destroying humanity. It is important to share about this with our family and our community. This space is pure life."
Jesus G.
Fellesmere, Florida

Our History

FWAF is a statewide organization with five offices in Florida. Each office was established based on work around natural disasters impacting farmworkers. Each area office’s work is community-driven and accountable to their base, with local leadership committees that steer the local work and the overall work of the organization. We are proud of and work to ensure that FWAF is an organization of, by, with, and for farmworkers.

"With this program, we are rescuing our culture; we are changing the food system to a more just one. We are also healing because as they say, we are what we eat."
Yesica
Apopka, Florida

Our Team

One of the Farmworker Association’s founding principles is that the organization be led by farmworkers. Our Board is elected by local membership councils, reflecting the ethnic/racial/gender diversity of the communities we represent. Organizational leadership and majority of the staff also come from the communities served.

"The community garden is a safe space where we have access to fresh herbs and vegetables, without chemicals or pesticides, where we connect with our roots, our culture, our resistance. This is a place without borders."
Eugenia R.
Homestead, Florida

Video Stories

From COVID testing and vaccination information to documentaries of farmworkers working in the fields and their families participating in the community gardens, FWAF has tried to tell their stories. Visit our video library to hear from our staff and our members about their needs and the support they receive from FWAF.

"I didn’t know about all the injustices of the US agriculture system against farmworkers and our land. Bringing together our children to learn about their history and their agricultural tradition is a revolutionary act. Since I started coming to the community garden I feel more motivated in my personal life."
Lenore K.
Apopka, Florida

Resources and Reports

FWAF is currently working with partner organizations and Universities. Together we publish articles and reports based on the research and the experience of the communities we serve.