Undocumented farmworkers in the U.S. (roughly 50 percent of crop agricultural workers) are already disproportionately impacted by health and economic vulnerabilities in the U.S. In addition to the challenges raised in  Undocumented farmworkers are left at high risk for COVID-19  authored by jingz2, COVID-19 will pose unique economic challenges to migrant farmworkers, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of global economies as they rely on U.S. migrant farmworker income. 

The article highlights the lack of legislative inclusion for undocumented migrant farmworkers under labor laws like the Fair Labor Act of 1938 and the National Labor Relations Act of 1835. However, these laws are already exclusionary to migrant farmworkers; far worse impact during COVID-19 will be the decline in migrant workers’ economies as agricultural supply chains grind to a halt, and migrant farmworker remittances decline. As we discuss farm vulnerabilities in the global south due to poverty, low agricultural yields, and warming global temperatures, migration may no longer be as much of a solution for struggling farmworkers abroad.

While the agricultural sector makes up more than USD$1 trillion of the U.S. economy and 5.5 percent GDP, the economic vitality for migrant farmworkers remains in the form of remittances sent externally to family members in migrants’ countries of origin. Last year, the World Bank cited a record USD$554 billion in remittances generated from migrant workers to low and middle-income countries (LMICs). As COVID-19 exacerbates worker vulnerabilities, the World Bank expects a sharp 20 percent decline in remittances, disrupting the livelihoods of families globally. 

Data Source: World Bank via Forbes

Not only will the health of migrant farmworkers disrupt the U.S. food supply, but it will also disrupt the economies of millions that rely on remittances, limiting their ability to purchase food and other essentials. As we consider the impact of COVID-19 on migrant farmworkers in the U.S., we must also remember the direct effect it will have on families abroad. 

For resources on protections for migrant farmworkers, please visit the following: 

Farmworker Justice COVID-19

Georgetown Law: COVID-19 Resources for Workers

Center for American Progress: Protecting Farmworkers From Coronavirus and Securing the Food Supply

Economic Policy Institute: Coronavirus and farmworkers, Farm employment, safety issues, and the H-2A guestworker program

FAQ: Immigrant Workers’ Rights and COVID-19—A Resource for Workers and Their Advocates