Overview
The produce industry is experiencing a labor crisis. To remain a vital segment of American agriculture -- one which accounts for nearly fifty percent of U.S. farm gate crop value -- our industry must have the means to secure a stable and legal workforce. The viability of the United States fruit and vegetable industry relies upon a mostly-immigrant workforce to ensure that our commodities are planted, harvested and packaged in a timely manner. Furthermore, given the highly perishable nature of fresh fruits and vegetables and the need to move products quickly to domestic and international markets, it is vital that fruit and vegetable producers have access to a stable, reliable stream of legal workers. It has become all too common for fruits and vegetables to rot in the field because growers do not have the available labor throughout the harvest season.
Background
Immigration remains a divisive issue and clearly, the political landscape and the possibilities for comprehensive immigration reform changed substantially after the 2010 elections. With the turnover in majority in the House of Representatives, the odds of immigration legislation being considered in that body that focuses on enforcement are significantly increased.
At this point, it appears that the House is headed toward consideration and likely passage of, a mandatory E-verify program. The outlook in the Senate for similar action is less clear, but certainly cannot be discounted. There are indications that should President Obama be presented with a mandatory E-verify proposal, he is likely to sign such a proposal into law. Questions remain about how much consideration will be given in Congress to making changes to the H 2-A program and what those changes could entail. Several House committees have held hearings on immigration reform issues, and votes on E-verify are possible before the fall. The Senate has not yet taken meaningful action on the issue. With Congress yet to cast votes on immigration issues, it is critical for policymakers to be aware of the impact stricter enforcement with no meaningful reform would have on the produce industry.
Challenge
A strictly domestic workforce cannot meet the needs of today's produce industry. We must look to guest worker programs to provide essential labor to fill these jobs. Currently, U.S. growers are faced with an ambiguous set of labor laws and regulations. Often this bureaucratic patchwork provides conflicting mandates and places producers in legal jeopardy despite efforts to comply.
Congress must act! In order to ensure U.S. producers have access to a stable workforce, Congress must address agriculture immigration reform. Agriculture immigration reform legislation must include provisions to address border security, but at the same time include provisions that provide a workable employment verification system as well as a stable and reliable guest worker program and reasonable incentives for workers to come out of the shadows and enroll without the fear of deportation.
With labor shortages becoming a harsh reality across the country, some growers have decided not to plant their crops, while others have explored options for production outside the United States. The U.S produce industry needs a legislative solution now!
The choice is a simple one: Import our labor or import our food.
Industry Resources
Government Resources
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