The 5 Top Things To Know About Immigrant Farmworkers and America's Food Production

1. 73% of US agricultural workers are immigrants, represented across all 50 states.  Incidentally, California is the #1 state in agriculture production.  By far.  Can you guess state #2?  Hint: It’s vowels are all in “California”.  The answer is Iowa.
2. Farms are facing a dire shortage of farmworkers.  In California, 56% of farms are short staffed.  COVID has only exacerbated this problem.
3. About half of farmworkers are undocumented, but need to be legalized – for the benefit of them, their farms, and the American food-eating public.
4. Temporary H-2A visas are insufficient.  Only 4% of agricultural workers have one.  California is one of the top H-2A states.
5. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) determined that giving legal status to undocumented farmworkers would boost tax revenues and have a net positive effect on the federal budget.