Farmworker Awareness week

Those of us working in agriculture know the essential role that farmworkers play in bringing fresh, healthy food to supermarkets. But many Americans had their first real awareness of farmworkers and recognized their critical role during the global pandemic when supply chains were shaken and many workers, including those who grow, harvest and pack our food, received the status of being essential.

Let’s bring voice to Farmworker Awareness Week and spread the message of how essential farmworkers are the root of our supply chain and ensure the availability, quality and safety of our fresh food.

• Farmworkers are essential to getting fresh and healthy food on supermarket shelves. We don’t see them, but they grow, harvest, process and pack our fresh food.

• During the pandemic, farmworkers were recognized as essential, but they have always played a vital role in the food supply chain. #AlwaysEssential

• Farmworkers are the root of our supply chain and ensure the availability, quality and safety of our food and help American farms produce $135 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product.1

• Nearly 2.6 million farmworkers are on farms and ranches in the U.S.1, performing hard and skilled labor.

• Farmworkers deserve our thanks along with safe and respectful workplaces.

• In every state, there are farmworkers on farms, ranches, greenhouses and processing facilities caring for the crops and livestock that provide healthy and nutritious food.

• Farm and ranch operations often run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, through heat and cold, and farmworkers are the backbone that keep the operations running daily.

Consumers can learn more about supporting farmworkers at equitablefood.org/farmworkerawareness.