The Impact of COVID-19 on Agricultural Communities
Author: David Goltz
How has COVID-19 affected agricultural workers, their employers, and the U.S. food system?
Vulnerable populations, a varied employer response, and economic implications
An Overview
Agricultural communities have experienced some of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the United States. Agriculture is an essential industry, but workers and their families often lack adequate protective measures against the virus. In this page, you will learn about some notable outbreaks within agricultural communities, the drivers of worker vulnerability, inconsistencies in employer response, and the pandemic's effect on agricultural business.
Purdue University Food and Agricultural Vulnerability Index Dashboard - Researchers from Purdue University's Agricultural Economics Department have attempted to quantify the number of Agricultural workers that have been infected with COVID-19, using John's Hopkins University COVID-19 case data, U.S. Census population data, and USDA data on hired farmworkers. As of 12/11/20, their estimate sits at 284,000 workers. This database is a work in progress, and may underestimate the true number of infected workers as it excludes contracted and temporary employees.
Video: 4:59m
Video Script
Welcome to my page. In this video, I will discuss the vulnerability of agricultural workers within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first bit of news that brought this issue to my attention was the outbreak at a Smithfield Farms facility in the early stages of the pandemic. Their pork packing facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota saw a huge spike in cases that caused the facility to shut down from April 12th to May 11th in 2020. The reason for this shutdown was that 1,294 employees contracted COVID-19. Among those, 43 were hospitalized, and 4 died. As a result of this and other meat-packing outbreaks, consumers saw a rise in pork prices. This event prompted the first issuing of a COVID-19 related citation at a meat packing plant, in which the Department of Labor cited that the company failed to provide adequate protections to its employees. In a meat packing setting, employees are typically in close quarters, working in assembly line fashion to process and package meat products.
However, workers are vulnerable across the agricultural sector, whether they are working in a processing facility or in harvest operations. Their vulnerability can be boiled down to a few key points: Agricultural workers often live on site in overcrowded housing, they typically have low income, and they often lack widespread access to healthcare and health insurance.
Another component of agricultural worker vulnerability is their employer’s response to the pandemic. My findings indicated that outbreaks occurred when employers failed to provide adequate sanitation, and lacked social distancing protocols, particularly in housing and transportation of their workers. I also found that in some instances, employers failed to disclose outbreaks to their workers. Additionally, many agricultural workers have reported that they did not receive proper PPE.
Researchers from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health published their Michigan Farmworker study, in which they interviewed both farmworkers and stakeholders to get an understanding of farmworker vulnerability. They found that power differentials in the agricultural workplace compounded the risk for COVID-19 infection. Agricultural workers are often migrants on temporary work visas, and they feared job loss or deportation, which made it difficult for them to request protective accommodations. The study found that poor sanitation measures, demanding working conditions, and preexisting health conditions led to an increased risk for viral infection among farmworker responders.
Another research project found that Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration offered minimal protections for the housing of agricultural workers. Rather than provide extensive protections, they accepted the 6 foot rule of thumb and allowed for even shorter distances between beds with plastic or plywood barriers installed. These protections did not give much consideration to the scientific literature that factored for both distance and length of time for indoor social distancing among unrelated persons.
The scale of this issue is illustrated by the Purdue University Food and Agricultural Vulnerability Index Dashboard. You can find a link to the site in the Overview section of my page. Researchers from Purdue University's Agricultural Economics Department have attempted to quantify the number of Agricultural workers that have been infected with COVID-19, using John's Hopkins University COVID-19 case data, U.S. Census population data, and USDA data on hired farmworkers. As of December 11th, 2020, they estimate that 284,000 workers have been infected with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic in the United States. It is important to note that their number may underestimate the actual number of infected workers as it excludes contracted and temporary labor.
Moving forward, more research is needed to examine how organizations are moving forward to address COVID-19 related health inequities in agricultural communities. Agricultural workers are some of the most essential workers, and they deserve essential worker protections.
Notable Outbreaks Among Agricultural Communities
Foster Farms in Livingston, CA
In September, the Merced County Department of Public Health reported that 392 employees of the Foster Farms poultry processing plant had tested positive for Covid-19, and 8 employees had died (Lauten-Scrivner).
Merced County Public Health Director Dr. Rebecca Nanyonjo-Kemp:
“This is one of the largest occupational fatalities experienced during COVID-19 in the state of California... this is significantly a big deal” (Lauten-Scrivner).
Primex Farms Pistachio Plant in Wasco, CA
In July, 78 workers and 34 of their family members were infected with COVID-19 (García).
Despite early warning signs, the plant remained open and downplayed concerns of an outbreak, finally shutting down voluntarily 10 days after the first positive case among workers. The plant reopened with limited operations five days later (García).
Around 50 employees went on strike after learning of the outbreak from a local news source, demanding better sanitation measures and more transparency from the company (Associated Press).
Immokalee, FL
Immokalee, a community known for its tomato farms and primarily composed of migrant agricultural workers, reported more than 1,000 cases out of 25,000 residents in mid June (Gomez Licon).
Local testing did not begin in earnest until early May, although "The nonprofit Coalition of Immokalee Workers had requested tests in March, at the same time authorities had set up mass testing sites elsewhere in the state" (Gomez Licon).
Green Empire Farms, NY
In May, an outbreak occurred at this single farm in Madison County, NY, which used local hotels to house migrant workers. 169 workers tested positive for COVID-19 (Eisenstadt).
This outbreak prompted an OSHA investigation of the migrant workers' living conditions. According to Madison County Public Health Director Eric Faisst, "The migrant workers were living four to a room, two to a bed," and they "were also shuttled to work and back on vans and buses" (Eisenstadt).
Townsend Farms, OR
The Portland area fruit processing plant has seen three separate outbreaks (OHA).
The first outbreak occurred in April, with 51 positive cases
The second occurred in May, with 56 positive cases
The third occurred in June, with 22 positive cases
According to The Oregonian, the first outbreak wasn't publicly disclosed until early June (Schmidt, et al).
Planasa Oregon Operations near Klamath Falls, OR
In October, precautionary pre-harvest testing revealed 59 positive cases among seasonal migrant workers hired for the strawberry harvest (Neumann).
Those who tested positive "were immediately placed in protected housing in Klamath Falls," according to Michael Delaney, U.S. Business Director for Planasa (Associated Press).
Gebbers Farms in Okanogan County, WA
Three employees have died from COVID-19, two of which were H-2A guest workers from other countries (Buhr).
Many community members have protested for better farmworker protections, more transparency in COVID-19 reporting, and the end of use of bunk beds in temporary worker housing (Buhr).
Smithfield Farms in Sioux Falls, SD
A facility owned by the large meat packaging corporation was the site of a serious COVID-19 outbreak in April.
According to OSHA, "Of the 1,294 plant employees who contracted the coronavirus, 43 were hospitalized and four died from complications related to the virus" (Knutsen).
In fact, this outbreak prompted the Department of Labor to issue the first COVID-19 related citation at a meat packing plant, citing the company's failure to provide adequate protections to its employees (Knutsen).
Agricultural Workers: A Vulnerable Population
Agricultural Employer Response to Covid-19
Agricultural workers are a particularly vulnerable population in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This vulnerability is the result of overcrowded housing, low income, and widespread lack of access to health insurance.
A 2013 study on Migrant Farmworker Housing Regulation Violations in North Carolina found that "violations of housing regulations were common, ranging from 4 to 22 per camp" (Arcury, et al).
This demonstrates the need for better enforcement of housing regulations in migrant farmworker housing.
Often, workers are crammed together in dormitory-style housing.
Many COVID-19 outbreaks among agricultural workers stem from crammed housing conditions, where workers find it difficult to remain socially distant from one another.
Researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health published the Michigan Farmworker Project, in which they interviewed both farmworkers and stakeholders to get an understanding of the vulnerability of farmworkers to COVID-19.
They found that power differentials in the agricultural workplace compounded the risk for COVID-19.
Workers' fear of job loss or deportation put them in a precarious position in which they "feel unable to report violations of workplace regulations, request protective equipment, or ask their employer for accommodations to help reduce COVID-19 risk" (Handal, et al).
The Michigan Farmworker Project also found that poor sanitation measures, demanding working conditions, and preexisting health conditions led to an increased risk for viral infection among farmworker responders (Handal, et al).
In many case examples above, the agricultural employers did not provide adequate protections for their workers, and some even failed to disclose outbreaks to their workers.
Poor housing conditions have contributed to COVID-19 outbreaks, and often inadequate sanitation and proximity measures are to blame.
Some agricultural workers have reported that they lack personal protective equipment and cannot socially distance while on the job (COVID-19 Farmworker Study).
A collaborative research project examining Oregon's labor housing COVID-19 guidelines found that OR OSHA "accepted the 6-foot social distancing rule of thumb and allowed even shorter distances between beds with the installation of plastic or plywood barriers," without giving much consideration for the scientific literature that factored for both distance and length of time for indoor social distancing among unrelated persons (Accorsi, et al).
This may be an underlying reason for the previously mentioned outbreaks at Townsend Farms and Planasa Oregon Operations.
Furthermore, inconsistent COVID-19 testing has been a component of risk to farmworkers in Oregon, although "little data have been collected to assess the success of existing testing efforts" (Accorsi, et al).
The Effect of COVID-19 on Crop Yields, Food Prices, and Food Choices
The American Farm Bureau Federation performed an analysis in April that examined the drop in food prices in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amid the virus-induced economic downturn, corn prices fell by 15%, dairy by 28%, beef and pork by 30%, whereas wheat prices fell by only 3%.
Some of these price drops can be attributed to the closing of food service operations in schools, universities, restaurants, bars, and cafeterias.
Wheat, on the other hand, had a relatively consistent demand in the U.S. and China which lead to a smaller price drop.
These price drops led to an increased rate of farm bankruptcies in the early stages of the pandemic (Farm Bureau).
However, in places such as California's Salinas Valley, some growers shortened their acreage and altered planting decisions. This resulted in shorter supply and a midsummer rise in prices that coincided with increased consumer traffic at grocery stores (Fitchette).
The ebb & flow of U.S. food prices made for a tumultuous growing season for many farmers, but perhaps a silver lining is that "U.S. retail vegetable sales are up double digits, year-over-year, since April" (Fitchette). This indicates that U.S. consumers may be eating more healthy, home cooked meals, which is a positive effect from a public health perspective.
Moving Forward
Projects such as the COVID-19 Farmworker Study, The Michigan Farmworker Project, and various efforts to examine the health inequities of farmworkers have shed light on the increased risk of COVID-19 infection posed to farmworkers.
Now that we are more aware of this issue, it is time to look deeper into how organizations are moving forward to address COVID-19 related health inequities in agricultural communities. The failures to provide adequate PPE, proper sanitation, and socially-distanced housing options are injustices to agricultural workers. They are essential workers, and they deserve essential worker protections.
From a public health perspective, it would be great to see increased grocery traffic and vegetable sales continue beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, as it would be indicative of relatively healthy food choices. However, it would be preferable to see consumers switch to more localized options such as farmers markets.
For more information on existing food worker policies, check out my colleague's page on Food Workers
References
Accorsi, Emma K., et al. “Sleeping Within Six Feet: Challenging Oregon’s Labor Housing COVID-19 Guidelines.” Journal of Agromedicine, Oct. 2020, pp. 1–4. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/1059924X.2020.1815622.
Arcury, Thomas A et al. “Migrant farmworker housing regulation violations in North Carolina.” American journal of industrial medicine vol. 55,3 (2012): 191-204. doi:10.1002/ajim.22011
Buhr, Tony. “Activists Protest for Farmworker Rights.” The Wenatchee World, 19 Aug. 2020, www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/coronavirus/activists-protest-for-farmworker-rights/article_47a92b36-de7e-11ea-8a0b-6357f7165fd0.html.
http://covid19farmworkerstudy.org/oregon-data-page/
“Crop and Livestock Prices Plunge Under Weight of COVID-19 Uncertainty.” American Farm Bureau Federation, 7 Apr. 2020, www.fb.org/newsroom/crop-and-livestock-prices-plunge-under-weight-of-covid-19-uncertainty.
Eisenstadt, Marnie. Green Empire Farm Coronavirus Outbreak: Madison County Wants to Inspect Migrant Living Conditions at Hotels. Syracuse.com, 11 May 2020, www.syracuse.com/news/2020/05/green-empire-farm-coronavirus-outbreak-madison-county-wants-to-inspect-migrant-living-conditions-at-hotels.html.
“Farm Workers in California Strike after Dozens Have Virus.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 25 June 2020, apnews.com/article/d7bf9ffeb2782f2d658f42ea1a1f4da3.
Fitchette, Todd. “Pandemic Spurs Inflation of Consumer Food Prices.” Western Farm Press, vol. 42, no. 14, Oct. 2020, p. 13. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=146353981&site=ehost-live.
García, Jacqueline. “Dozens of Pistachio Plant Workers Infected with COVID-19.” KQED, 6 July 2020, www.kqed.org/news/11827498/dozens-of-pistachio-plant-workers-infected-with-covid-19.
Gomez Licon, Adriana. “Florida Migrant Towns Become Coronavirus Hot Spots in US.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 12 June 2020, abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/florida-migrant-towns-coronavirus-hot-spots-us-71212542.
Handal, Alexis J., et al. “‘Essential’ but Expendable: Farmworkers During the COVID-19 Pandemic-The Michigan Farmworker Project.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 110, no. 12, Dec. 2020, pp. 1760–1762. EBSCOhost, doi:10.2105/AJPH.2020.305947.
Knutson, Jacob. “OSHA Fines South Dakota Meat Packing Plant for 'Failing to Protect Employees' from Coronavirus.” Axios, 10 Sept. 2020, www.axios.com/osha-smithfield-meatpacking-coronavirus-citation-3dc56e65-7d8c-41a3-ad9a-351838ec6f05.html.
Lauten-Scrivner, Abbie."Foster Farms COVID-19 Deaths among Worst Work-Related Outbreaks in California, Official Says." Merced Sun-Star, 16 Sept. 2020, www.mercedsunstar.com/news/coronavirus/article245767575.html.
Neumann, Erik. Klamath COVID-19 Outbreak Shows Risks to Farmworkers. OPB, 13 Oct. 2020, www.opb.org/article/2020/10/13/klamath-covid-19-outbreak-shows-risks-to-farmworkers/.
Oregon Health Authority. (2020, July 22). COVID-19 Weekly Report. State of Oregon. https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/DISEASESAZ/Emerging%20Respitory%20Infections/COVID-19-Weekly-Report-2020-07-22-FINAL.pdf
Schmidt, Brad, et al. “Second Coronavirus Outbreak Hits Townsend Farms, but the State Never Disclosed the First.” The Oregonian, 4 June 2020, www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/05/coronavirus-outbreak-hits-townsend-farms-in-fairview.html.
“Virus Outbreak Affects Dozens of Strawberry Harvest Workers.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 12 Oct. 2020, apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-public-health-health-klamath-falls-oregon-3ad0d7ce8f21a45163ea7334925f3a51.