Justice Issues Facing Family-Scale Farmers and Their Laborers in the Northeastern United States

Rebecca Berkey,Tania Schusler

doi:10.5304/jafscd.2016.062.017

Abstract

This study investigates how justice-related issues affect farmers and workers on organic farms in the northeastern United States. At the study's core is an examination of the current context of laborers in organic agriculture in the U.S. Northeast. The study analyzes the results of an online survey of Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) farmer members to gather information about who labors on organic farms in the NOFA network and what unique justice issues they face. The survey results indicate that most of the farms within the network are small-scale and rely heavily on family members and volunteers for labor. Many of the justice issues related to labor arise from the difficulties these farmers experience achieving financial viability. This study increases understanding of the broader systemic context within which small-scale organic farmers make their commitments and decisions, and it illustrates how the justice-related experiences of both farmers and workers are affected by participation as small-scale organic farms in the larger agricultural system.

Highlights

Research focuses on pesticide use and its effects on worker health (e.g. Moses, 1989; Oxfam America, 2004; Reeves, Katten, & Guzmán, 2002; Sologaistoa, 2011), as well as effects of immigration policies and the exploitation of immigrants due to conventional agriculture’s reliance on workers from outside the United States (e.g. Stephen, 2003; Taylor, 1992; Wilson & Portes, 1980)
We review survey findings and and volunteers in their operations to encourage their implications for the research questions, community education about organic agriculture compare our data with publicly available national (Berkey, 2014), it appears that farmers are agricultural data, review the supports and using creative approaches to fulfill labor needs for constraints expressed by organic farmers, and which they lack the financial resources to hire discuss the opportunities for practice employees
Our findings from a survey of Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) farmer-members indicate that these farms rely heavily on labor from their families and communities in order to operate

Summary

Introduction

Introduction and Literature ReviewIn conventional farming, much justice-relatedVolume 6, Issue 2 / Winter 2015–2016research focuses on pesticide use and its effects on worker health (e.g. Moses, 1989; Oxfam America, 2004; Reeves, Katten, & Guzmán, 2002; Sologaistoa, 2011), as well as effects of immigration policies and the exploitation of immigrants due to conventional agriculture’s reliance on workers from outside the United States (e.g. Stephen, 2003; Taylor, 1992; Wilson & Portes, 1980). Wiggins, and Quandt state that in the eastern United States, farmworkers experience high rates of occupational and environmental injury and illness, few programs and regulations have been designed to help reduce these outcomes. Farmworkers and their families in the eastern US seldom have health insurance, and many of them have limited access to health care. Member Farmer Survey Research conducted by the Northeast Organic Farming Association and Becca Berkey, PhD Candidate at Antioch University New England. We are doing a study about issues that affect farmers and farmworkers on organic farms in the Northeast.

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Conclusion