Drinking Water Quality in NC Migrant Farmworker Camps

Water is the essence of human life. It is part of every cell, and is vital for every function of our body. The World Health Organization has declared that safe water is a basic human right. Migrant farmworkers in the United States are at increased risk for illness and injuries, including those that result from consuming unsafe drinking water. The quality of drinking water was studied in 181 migrant farmworker camps in eastern North Carolina from June through October, 2010.

Click to read more ...

Migrant Farmworker Housing Violations in North Carolina

Migrant farmworkers endure some of the worst housing conditions in North Carolina. Federal and state laws set minimum standards for migrant worker housing. In the largest and most comprehensive study of farmworker housing conducted in the Southeast, researchers at Wake Forest School of Medicine found multiple violations of state and federal housing standards in every camp they studied.

Click to read more ...

Farm Workers and Immigration Policy: A Briefing Paper by Bread for the World

For more than a century, agriculture has been an entry point into the labor market for immigrants in the United States. Presently, close to three-fourths of all U.S. hired farm workers are immigrants, most of them unauthorized. Their unauthorized legal status, low wages, and an inconsistent work schedule contribute to a precarious economic state.

Immigrant farm workers fill low-wage jobs that citizens are reluctant to take. Attempts to recruit citizens for farm worker jobs have failed. Domestic production of fruits and vegetables could decrease without immigrant farm workers.

Click to read more ...

Biomarkers of Farmworker Pesticide Exposure in North Carolina

This policy brief documents farmworker pesticide exposure during the 2007 agricultural season in North Carolina. Based on these results, we present recommendations to improve safety and sanitation conditions for farmworkers. Urine samples were collected by Wake Forest University School of Medicine investigators from 284 farmworkers at monthly intervals during the period of May through August 2007. A total of 939 urine samples were provided by farmworkers and analyzed for pesticide urinary metabolites by the National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta.

Click to read more ...

Meeting the Requirements for Occupational Safety and Sanitation for Migrant Farmworkers in North Carolina

This policy brief describes migrant farmworker experiences with components of the US-EPA Worker Protection Standard and the OSHA safety and sanitation regulations. Based on these results, we present recommendations to improve safety and sanitation conditions for farmworkers. Information for this policy brief is based on data collected by Wake Forest University School of Medicine investigators from 255 migrant farmworkers who were interviewed at monthly intervals from May through August 2007.

Click to read more ...