Farmer perceptions of climate, adaptation and management of farmworker risk in California

Abstract

Adaptation across systems[1] in agriculture is essen­tial for sustainability under ongoing climate change. Farmers and agricultural employers implement changes in their work (e.g., mechanization, chang­ing crops, managing workspaces) in ways that may directly impact worker health. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with farmers and farm labor contractors in three agriculturally productive regions of California. We investigated (1) how farmers view changing climate in terms of worker safety and health; (2) how they are currently adapting to long-term weather patterns; (3) how their choices of management practices might impact their workers; (4) how they view their responsibility for their workers; and (5) what their overall observations are concerning environmental changes. Many employers made a clear distinction between weather and climate but not all agreed on whether they were experiencing climate change. Heat was notably the biggest climate hazard farm­ers identified. Most of the employers interviewed were proud of their longevity and ability to adapt to changing conditions in the field; however, they did not have established emergency procedures. Despite regulations that put the onus on employ­ers, most participants believed that workers needed to take individual responsibility to keep themselves safe in the workplace. This research is one step in an ongoing research process designed to address the impacts of health and safety for agricultural workers in the context of climate change.

Estimated impacts of forest restoration scenarios on smoke exposures among outdoor agricultural workers in California

“…We also do not consider smoke from agricultural burning, which is the practice of burning crop residues before seeding or after the harvest, which likely also contributes to total smoke exposure burdens among agricultural workers. We do not account for exposure misclassification as a result of actions that outdoor workers or employers might take during wildfire smoke events, such as staying home from work, relocation, or altering work schedules; however, studies of risk perception to environmental hazards in agricultural workplaces in California have found limited concern or response pertaining to poor air quality among employers, relative to other environmental hazards (Wadsworth et al 2022). Additionally, interviews and focus groups of California agricultural workers have documented limited knowledge of wildfire smoke exposure risk along with a sense of pressure among workers to continue working despite the presence of environmental hazards (Courville et al 2016, Riden et al 2020.…”

“…Recent surveys of agricultural workers and employers in California have documented varied awareness of air quality issues pertaining to wildfire smoke in the workplace along with limited knowledge of exposure reduction measures, such as the use of masks or respirators, which highlights the need for an increased understanding of smoke exposures in agricultural settings and more targeted exposure reduction efforts (Riden et al 2020, Wadsworth et al 2022. While few studies have examined the health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure among outdoor agricultural workers, a rich literature has documented the negative links between wildfire smoke exposure and human health outcomes in the general population and subpopulations and provides indications of broadscale impacts.…”