The International Fresh Produce Association has released two new reports that it says underscore the impact of the agricultural labor crisis on the fresh produce industry and the U.S.’s food security.
The reports, conducted by Texas A&M University, Center for North American Studies, and leading agricultural experts, found that unless Congress acts quickly, U.S. consumers will rely on foreign countries to meet U.S. food needs, jeopardizing food security and national security, according to a news release.
“Out-of-control labor costs threaten to upend our food supply chain and push America’s fresh produce industry into crisis,” said IFPA CEO Cathy Burns. “These reports underscore the urgent need for congressional action to provide relief to growers and reform current regulations that expose employers to liabilities outside of their direct control and allow workers to receive wages for work they have not done.”
IFPA says a “decreased domestic labor pool, increased reliance on the H-2A visa program, and the program’s flawed wage calculation have dramatically impacted the cost and availability of labor, pricing U.S. growers out of the market.”
Key findings from the reports include:
- The average farmer is unable to access 21% of their necessary workforce.
- Reliance on the H-2A visa program has surged by 300% since 2012, representing 10-15% of all agricultural labor jobs.
- Jobs certified by the H-2A visa program represent 10-15% of all agricultural jobs today.
- Since 2020, a larger share of the total supply of fresh fruit in the U.S. was imported than grown domestically: In 2000, 37% of fruits were imported, up to 55% in 2022. And in 2022, fruit imports were 29% of the total supply, up from 9.5% in 2000.
The reports further found that farm wages have grown more than 20% due to increases in the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, the minimum hourly wage the Department of Labor requires employers to pay H-2A workers, which often does not match local market conditions, the release said.
IFPA says the financial strain on growers and reduced competitiveness in the international market is poised to impact consumers with significantly increased prices for domestically grown produce.
The House of Representatives and Senate are considering several pieces of legislation that would address various issues with the H-2A program. Included in these considerations are provisions that would maintain the current AEWR for the H-2A program, prevent the implementation of the recent May 2024 Department of Labor rule, and reconsider a February 2023 Labor Department rule. Many of these provisions received unanimous bipartisan support as part of the House Agriculture Committee’s Agricultural Labor Working Group, the release said.
From burdening consumers with high costs and hindering nutritional accessibility to increasing dependence on foreign nations to secure our food supply, the consequences of delayed action on the agricultural labor crisis are far-reaching, says IFPA.
Policymakers and the fresh produce and floral industries are gathering for IFPA’s annual Washington Conference, June 10-12, to address and discuss public policy matters, including the agricultural labor and workforce crisis.
