The availability of livestock workers was ranked as more limited than crop workers and finding long-term help seen as more difficult than temporary help due to the seasonal nature of the ag industry.
The fair-trade certifier has increased its Fairtrade Minimum Price across 16 banana-growing countries. These price updates were informed by stakeholder consultation and a cost of production study.
Central Washington-based grower Ostrom Mushroom Farms was fined $74,000 in civil penalties for H-2A violations, and the Department of Labor was able to recover $59,000 in back wages for workers, a news release said.
A panel of produce industry and cybersecurity experts shared key facts that produce industry leaders need to know about cybersecurity in 2023 at CPMA’s Convention and Trade Show on April 26.
Fresh produce advocates have voiced concerns over new H-2A wage rate updates, with one calling it a "fatally flawed" approach to setting adverse effect wage rates that should be "scrapped in its entirety."
President Biden traveled on Sunday to the U.S./Mexico border amid a surge in illegal border crossings. The administration announced a new program for up to 30,000 migrants a month to enter the U.S. legally.
Bladimir Moreno, owner of agricultural labor company LVH, led a multistate criminal enterprise and was sentenced to 118 months in prison, according to the Department of Justice.
The National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health released on Tuesday will cover everything from a congressional push for $15 per hour minimum wage to research in soil management impacts on human health.
The USDA is gathering input to help shape a recently announced planned grant program focused on improving the resiliency of our food and agricultural supply chain.
Western Growers released a new video that calls on the U.S. Senate to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to ease the industry's labor shortage and reduce food inflation.
Higher labor costs are squeezing fruit and vegetable growers and forcing them to respond by automating, borrowing foreign labor or moving production out of the U.S.
National and state agricultural leaders joined Republican members of Congress on July 11 to call on Congress to pass bipartisan workforce solutions to address the farm labor shortage.
The professional jury of GreenTech has named the GRoW tomato harvesting robot by Ridder and MetoMotion as the winner of the Robot Challenge, according to a news release.
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 15 ruled that employees who sign arbitration agreements can’t bring certain claims under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) to court.
The USDA and other federal agencies will develop a pilot program utilizing up to $65 million in American Rescue Plan funding to provide support for agricultural employers, according to a news release.
An ongoing U.S. Department of Labor effort has revealed some California vegetable farms have not been providing H-2A workers with the pay and benefits the law requires, according to a news release from the agency.
The maker of Ready Pac Bistro has launched an inclusive hiring model designed to remove barriers to employment and create a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
A Florida woman pleaded guilty on April 6 to a federal racketeering conspiracy that victimized Mexican agricultural workers admitted into the U.S. under the H-2A temporary visa program, according to a news release.
Porterville, Calif.-based Homegrown Organic Farms has announced its Northwest organic blueberry farms in Oregon have earned Equitable Food Initiative certification.
The U.S. Department of Labor is continuing its multiyear education and enforcement initiative to increase compliance with federal labor laws in the Southeast’s agricultural industry, according to a news release.
After toiling in fields under a hot Missouri sun, immigrant workers returned to what was once a county jail where their employer housed them in unsanitary living conditions, according to the Department of Labor.
North American agricultural employers may have a leg up on their competitors if they follow principles revealed in a study by the Equitable Food Initiative.
The U.S. Department of Labor said it found numerous violations of the H-2A agricultural worker program by Roberto Perez Farms and Perez Bros Farms Inc. in Turlock.
When three Arcadia citrus farm labor contractors failed to comply with the requirements of the federal H-2A agricultural worker visa program, they shortchanged 123 employees – owing them $72,609 in total wages.
The year 2021 was a rough one and brought no “back to normal”. For many 2021 wasn't much better than 2020. Take a trip back in time with us and explore 2021's top 10 fruit and vegetable news.
Labor is typically always tight on the fresh produce farm. That was truer than ever in 2021, but nearly everyone else in the food supply chain was also experiencing a shortage of workers.
The U.S. Department of Labor announced the award of a $5 million cooperative agreement to the American Center for International Labor Solidarity to improve agricultural workers’ rights in Latin America.
Amid a labor shortage across all employment levels, we risk losing the skills, talents and perspectives of 51% of our population when we don’t tailor our produce companies and roles to women’s needs today.
The award-winning documentary, “The Last Harvest,” releases for free exclusively on Vimeo for a timely message of appreciation and acknowledgment of the challenges facing those who grow and harvest our food.
Members of the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) approved a new six-year deal on Wednesday with a 61% vote. The new agreement includes a signing bonus, wage increases, as well as enhanced retirement options.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it is accepting applications for the new Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) grant program first announced on Sept. 7, 2021.
With Philadelphia terminal market mushroom prices running 30% above year-ago levels in late October, the American Mushroom Institute warned that tight supplies of mushrooms are anticipated for the holiday season.
Record-breaking heat in the U.S. in 2021 endangered millions of workers exposed to heat illness and injury in both indoor and outdoor work environments.
Paying a "living wage" is different than the set minimum wage in your area, and can be determined using this Living Wage Calculator, created by Amy Glasmeier, an MIT professor.
