By: Melanie Forti, Health & Safety Program Director
Welcome to AFOP’s Health & Safety Programs new blog! We are very excited to finally start a blog covering diverse topics related to the farmworker community. Through this blog we hope to create awareness, share our knowledge on farmworker issues, and hope to inspire everyone to take action to improve the lives of the farmworker community.
There are over 2.5 million farmworkers harvesting our nation’s food…
and they are the most neglected working group.
Farmworkers face many challenges such as being excluded from national labor protections that other workers possess. They are subject to lower wages, discrimination; and lack access to health care, housing, health and safety issues and many more. Unfortunately this is because our food system is so corrupt. We are marginalizing those who actually put food on our tables, as they struggle to feed their own family members.
Agriculture work is one of the most important jobs, yet it ranks among the most dangerous and least adequately compensated in the US. Their occupation requires extreme physical labor all day long. In addition, every day they are exposed to pesticides, extreme weather conditions, and working long hours putting their bodies at risk of suffering from multiple health issues.
Farmworkers and their families deserve a healthy and safe life. At AFOP, our Health & Safety Programs strives to empower the farmworker community through health and safety education, materials and resources. Moving forward, the proper authorities need to make changes in our food system now in order improve the health and well-being of our nation’s farmworkers.
We hope you learn some things here and most of all, get inspired to take action.
If you would you like to share your expertise on farmworker related issues, feel free to submit your article to forti@afop.org. (2-4 paragraphs)
5.13.16
Health & Safety Programs 