organic farms and farmworker practices

[Guest guest]

Subject: UC study shows farmworkers not addressed by organic agriculture

For immediate release

April 18, 2005

Contact: Lyra Halprin, (530) 752-8664, lhalprin@...

UC study shows farmworkers not addressed by organic agriculture

A University of California study shows that, except for reduced exposure

to pesticides, the boom in organic agriculture has not resulted in

better working conditions for farmworkers.

Because organic agriculture rules prohibit many toxic pesticides, and

organic producers are perceived as social activists, consumers may

assume that farmworkers get more benefits from organic production than

conventional agriculture. However, organic certification doesn't specify

working conditions for farm labor.

" Agriculture in general doesn't provide employment benefits found in

most other sectors such as medical insurance and retirement plans, " said

Gail Feenstra, food systems analyst with the UC -based statewide

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) and

co-author of the study.

" We found that even though organic products often bring higher prices,

in most cases, it doesn't make enough for small- and mid-sized farmers

to be 'socially sustainable,' " Feenstra said. " Organic growers

themselves may not have health insurance, and often can't pay for worker

insurance. "

Feenstra; Christy Getz, assistant ative Extension specialist at UC

Berkeley; and Aimee Shreck, SAREP postdoctoral researcher, analyzed

surveys from almost 200 California organic farmers to find out what

conditions laborers face and what the farmers thought their " social

responsibility " to workers should be.

The study results were surprising, Shreck said.

Even though fair, safe, healthy and equitable working conditions for

hired labor are considered central to agricultural labor certification

programs, less than half the surveyed growers wanted them to be

required, she said.

" It is important to recognize that growers may agree with these ideas,

but they disagree that organic certification is the way to address

them, " Shreck said. " Some told us that even though they personally

believe organic agriculture should provide fair and healthy working

conditions for farmworkers, they find that it just isn't economically

possible for them at this time given the realities of the market. "

The majority of those responding were small- and mid-sized growers who

farm 50 acres or less and report less than $50,000 in annual sales.

Two-thirds of the responding farmers hire workers in addition to their

own families.

" We asked about specific areas that could be adopted by organic

certifiers, such as a requirement to provide health insurance or pay

living wages, " she said. Most respondents felt that such measures would

be too hard on them financially.

" Amazingly, about 40 percent of the respondents 'strongly disagree' with

one of the proposed requirements, to 'respect farmworkers' right to

bargain collectively,' even though it is already required by California

law [under the Agriculture Labor Relations Act of 1975], " said Getz.

Findings from this study provide insight into what organic agriculture

might mean for farmworkers, she said.

" We did find important exceptions to these results -- farmers whose

practices are atypical, yet show that under some circumstances an

organic production system can be environmentally, economically, and

socially sustainable, " Getz said. " We're looking more closely at these

examples. "

The authors concluded that to create production conditions that are

favorable to a broader view of " socially sustainable, " change is needed

in the entire food system.

" Labor issues within the sustainable agriculture and organic communities

must be examined in the context of the entire food chain -- production,

processing, distribution and consumption, " Getz said. " That's when ag

will be truly sustainable -- ecologically sound, economically viable,

and socially responsible. "

Media contacts:

* Gail Feenstra, UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

Program (SAREP) food systems analyst, (530) 752-8408, gwfeenstra@...

* Christy Getz, UC Berkeley assistant ative Extension

specialist, (510) 642-8681, cgetz@...

* Aimee Shreck, SAREP postdoctoral researcher (530) 220-2870,

ashreck@...

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