Health and Environmental Justice

Farmworkers experience unique and challenging workplace hazards. From heat stress to pesticide exposure, many farmworkers suffer due to poor access to healthcare resources or lack the knowledge that these services are available to them. 

With the emergence of the COVID threat in 2020, FWAF pivoted services to address the unprecedented economic and health needs suddenly faced by the community. A series of informational videos were prepared in Spanish, Haitian Creole, and in a Mexican Indigenous language to help community members understand the threat and learn about resources. Once testing became available, FWAF served as a testing site and now in 2021 we are also the hosting vaccine clinics for the rural, low income, and immigrant communities where we work. 

Through education and community organizing, the Farmworkers Association of Florida works to improve farmworkers’ health, working conditions, and access to quality healthcare; raise awareness of the harmful effects of toxic pesticides; and influence policy related to health and safety protections for farmworkers.

Related Articles

Health and Environmental Justice

Most Farmworkers Speak Spanish, but Pesticide Safety Labels Are Often Only Printed in English

 
Read More
community art project

Memorial quilts on show in Apopka

A special exhibit of a FWAF community quilting project is underway at the Museum of the Apopkans. The beautiful and meaningful quilts, mostly made by ...
Read More
Health and Environmental Justice

In the news: Hispanic and Latino farmworkers at high risk from pesticide use in agriculture

The Guardian quotes a new study authored by the Farmworker Association of Florida and others. In their article “People of color more likely to be ...
Read More
farmworker awareness week

March 25 – 31 is Farmworker Awareness week

This week we appreciate the essential work of our farmworkers nationwide. FWAF participates with an online campaign, a webinar and free health clinics. FWAF general ...
Read More
Alianza Nacional de Campesinas

Making morralitos (small satchels) for pesticide awareness

From January 15 to February 15 2022, the five offices of the Farmworker Association of Florida (FWAF) have been making morralitos (‘little satchels’). The goal ...
Read More
FWAF is part of a broad coalition with Earthjustice and other groups
coalition against organophosphates

Joint call to ban nerve agent pesticides

FWAF is part of a broad coalition against the use of organophosphates (OP). Alongside with Earthjustice, 10 health, community, and farmworker groups are petitioning the ...
Read More