Curving Food Costs and Labor Shortages

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act would allow more farmers to hire temporary workers.

The effort would update the food production workforce system for migrant and seasonal workers, which is outdated. The last reforms to the current system were made under President Ronald Reagan, any changes can provide immediate relief to both farmers and consumers, alleviating the nationwide worker shortage that has caused grocery prices to skyrocket. 

“Currently, year-round employers cannot use that worker visa program, known as the H-2A temporary agricultural program used by seasonal employers. It would also satisfy some goals for labor rights advocates by providing a pathway to legalization for workers who show a dedicated history of farm work.” The Senate is nearing a deal on immigration that could also lower food prices.

Reasoning Behing Immigration Reform

This is an important step because farmers and ranchers use the H-2A visa program to hire temporary workers, if they prove they can’t find domestic workers, and demand for these types of visas has increased steadily.  

“Demand for the visas has been steadily on the rise as producers face labor shortages, even before the pandemic. Although H-2A visa workers still make up about 11% of the overall workforce, the Labor Department noted the number of visas has more than tripled since 2012.” CBJ-2023-V1-07.pdf (dol.gov) 

A decrease in food costs and stabilization of the workforce are also needed since more Americans are turning to food banks for assistance because they cannot afford supermarket prices... and food banks are having a tough time stocking up, too.  

"Our experience is that this rise in food and fuel costs are creating just as precarious a situation for people who are trying to feed their families as was the case during the pandemic," Katie Fitzgerald, president of Feeding America, said.   

What Does Immigration Reform Need?

As negotiations continue in the Senate the potential for the bill to pass seems positive.  The bill consists of three main immigration reforms aimed at helping the agricultural industry: 

• Create a pathway to legal status for current undocumented agricultural workers. 
• Reform the H-2 visa program, creating a year-round option, more wage consistency, mandated housing for migrant workers and streamlining the application process for employers. 
• Direct employers to create an “E-verify” program to ensure their workers are authorized. 

With this opportunity to create a clearer path to legal status in the U.S. immigrants will need educational and economic resources to support their process. One Percent for America was created just for that, and we encourage community members to become investors in citizenship with us.