The American food industry needs immigrant work – but the system requires reform

The application of current immigration policy of the Trump administration underlines an embarrassing truth on the American food industry – without undocumented immigrants, the system would not work, at least not in its current form.

Earlier this month, the American federal government briefly published advice to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), taking a break from immigration and customs raids (ICE) on farms, hotels, restaurants and food processing facilities, citing concerns about work shortages. President Trump has personally recognized in an article on his social media platform Truth Social that his “very aggressive” policies tear long-standing workers “almost impossible to replace”.

The reversal of major policies followed the pleads of the leaders of the agrifood industry to the Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and directly to Trump himself, asking them to relieve ice raids at these places of work, as this would lead to staff shortages because of the dependence of the industry with regard to immigrant work.

But, a few days later, the DHS reversed the course, with the approval of Trump, restoring what he calls “the application of large -scale immigration and in the quota without safe spaces”. In other words, the raids at the workplace of ice work in farms, food processing facilities, restaurants and hotels are back – at least for the moment. The agency says that it must achieve a daily objective of 3,000 arrests, even if it means taking up the application of critical industries such as agro-food.

The deputy chief of staff of the White House, Stephen Miller, and the secretary of internal security, Kristi Noem, who do not want both exemptions or “safe spaces” with regard to the application of immigration, who would have played the roles in the modification of the brief exemption from undocumented immigrants.

Stakeholders in the agri-food sector, individual farmers and commercial agricultural associations, with the main CEOs of food companies, were surprised by the Tong of the Administration, leading to the resumption of raids in the workplace of ice in farms and food processing facilities. They say that the recovery raids and the expulsion of those arrested trigger labor shortages, absenteeism among frightening personnel and operational instability.

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), which represents family farmers and breeders in the United States, firmly expresses the resumption of ice raids, affirming that they disrupt the workforce and may have a negative impact on American food supply.

In a declaration strongly written on June 17, the president of AFBF, Zippy Duvall, not only criticized the resumption of ice raids, but also said that the current agricultural labor programs were broken. He called for a complete immigration reform which addresses border security, provides legal and stable workforce for farmers and agro-industries and modernizes existing agricultural workers’ programs.

In the United States, around 50% of workers in the food industry lack legal work authorization, according to data from the US Ministry of Agriculture (USDA). Agricultural workers represent the highest percentage of these undocumented immigrant workers.

California is the first food and agricultural state in the country and where, according to data from the Governor’s office and the University of California, around 50% or more workers in the agrifood industry are undocumented. Industry leaders are alarm on the way Ice Raids in farms and transformation facilities make the shortage of already existing food and agricultural work.

The Western Growers Association, which represents family farmers in the State, warns that targeting undocumented food and agricultural workers compromise not only harvests, but “also threatens segments of the greatest state economy, with many cultures left due to labor shortages”.

In addition, the California Farm Bureau, the largest organization of the state agrifood industry, warns that the gaps in the expulsion work of undocumented agricultural workers could lead to non -gathered crops and lower in the supply chain, resulting in shortages and price increases.

California represents more than 50% of the country’s production for fruits, nuts and vegetables, growing more than a third of vegetables and three-quarters of fruit and nuts in the United States, according to USDA data. It is also the first state of production and processing of dairy products in the country.

The leaders of the food company wrapped like the CEO of Chobani, Hamdi Ulukaya, have spoken against the resumption of ice raids. Ulukaya urges the Trump administration to reconsider its position, saying to The Wall Street JournalThe Global Food Forum in Chicago last week that the country’s food supply chain is threatened by aggressive raids at the national immigrant scale.

“We have to be very realistic,” said Ulukaya during the forum. “We need immigration and we need workers so that our food system works.”

Ulukaya is right – and I think that the debacle of the immigration switch opens in fact rather than closing the door to what is essential for immigration reform for the food industry. The American agrifood system in its current form needs immigrant workers to function.

I also believe that Trump is aware of this and, on the basis of what he recently said, is open to immigration reform with regard to immigrant workers in the food industry.

Many Republicans and Democrats in Congress are also aware that immigrant workers are fueling American food industry. I believe they are also open to immigration for farm and food industry workers.

To honestly respond to this dependence on the workforce of immigrants, the United States must promulgate a reform of policies with a package that resembles this:

The Temporary Agricultural Visa H-2A is the main legal journey of foreign agricultural workers, but it is bureaucratic, expensive and excludes jobs all year round, such as those in dairies and meat.

Reformation ideas:

Rationalize the application process.

Authorize jobs all year round to qualify.

Offer a way for permanent residence for workers with long -term service.

It is estimated that 50% (or more) of American agricultural workers are undocumented. These workers form the backbone of food production, but live in fear of expulsion.

Reformation ideas:

Adopt legislation such as the Farm WorkForce Modernization Act, which was adopted in the House of Representatives of the United States but stopped in the Senate.

Allow undocumented workers to gain legal status through continuous agricultural employment, basic checks and tax payment.

Current visa programs do not take into account the unique requests for food processing, packaging and crop work all year round.

Reformation ideas:

Develop a visa category specifically for the agrifood supply chain, from farm to transformation, distribution.

Include flexible entry / output options and work protections.

Immigrant agrifood workers are vulnerable to exploitation due to their immigration status.

Reformation ideas:

Attach the immigration reform to a stronger application of fair wages, safe working conditions and housing standards.

Protect reprisals or expulsion by declaration of labor violations.

Farmers are facing labor shortages, while government visa systems and law enforcement agencies often act in isolation or conflicts.

Reformation ideas:

Create a national database or a register of agrifood labor demand.

Allow states to sponsor or co-generate temporary work programs according to the regional workforce of the workforce.

Encourage public-private partnerships to recruit, train and legally place the work of immigrants.

Let’s face it: To claim that the American food system in its current form can work without undocumented workers is a fantasy.

Hoping that Trump will again change from an opinion and exempt workers from the agrifood industry of the application of immigration may not be a fantasy, but it is madness because, among other things, hope is not a strategy.

Instead, the food industry and its supporters should concentrate – and do it immediately – on help and immigration reform for agrifood workers, focusing both on the Trump administration and the Congress.

It is the best strategy not only for industry but also for consumers and the nation as a whole.

“The American food industry needs immigrant work – but the system requires reform” has been originally created and published by Just Food, a brand belonging to Globaldata.

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