Farming Labor

Agriculture work exploitation is a rising problem in the produce industry, and it entails modern-day slavery. Many restaurants and grocery stores sell food from farms where workers receive little pay and are in constant danger. An example of this is the farms in Immokalee, Florida. The workers on these farms are often in danger, from; sexual assault and abuse, the threat of deportation, heatstroke, no drinking water or bathroom breaks, constant exposure to dangerous pesticides/chemicals, and very low piece work wages. Piece work is when the workers are paid based on how much produce they collect. This is a big problem in Immokalee, as well as many other farms. Because of the piece work, often only the fastest laborers are "successful," and even they are usually paid very little. An example is a tomato farm in Florida where workers get 45 cents for every 32 pounds of tomatoes they collect.

There are several ways to prevent labor exploitation. One way is to buy locally and know your farmer. If you pay someone for their hard work, face to face, they will be able to control how much money they make. A great place to buy local is from farmer markets or CSA. Also you can prevent work exploitation on farms by supporting the Fair Food Program, created by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to insure fair treatment on the farms.