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Opinion
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Climate Checkup
— Reauthorizing the Farm Bill can offer essential protections
by
Roxana Chicas, PhD, RN
January 7, 2024
Chicas is an assistant professor of nursing.
Concerns are rising as the Senate failed to pass a new version of the Farm Bill during the November session. Instead, they chose to continue with existing policies and programs, delaying significant changes until at least 2024 or 2025. The Farm Bill, a critical piece of legislation that transcends farm programs, affects several societal aspects, including food assistance programs, and typically undergoes reauthorization every 5 years.
This decision is a missed opportunity to act on climate change and protect the health of farmworkers and food systems that are especially susceptible to the impacts of our changing climate.
Delaying action goes far beyond political reasons; it impacts real people in tangible ways.
My background is rooted in community advocacy. I emigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador at a young age and became an interpreter for my family, friends, and neighbors. This provided me with a personal connection to those who were working in extreme conditions where workplace injuries often went unaddressed due to language barriers, lack of healthcare access, and inadequate labor protections.
These experiences motivated me to get trained in nursing to better serve these communities. I later found myself working with farmworker communities, who are disproportionately affected by dangerous heat as a result of climate change.
While most people see grocery store produce sections as aesthetically pleasing displays, I see the laborers who work tirelessly to ensure a steady supply for us all. Farmworkers, often invisible to consumers, endure grueling conditions to support their families. They are usually underpaid and overworked, facing harsh environmental conditions without adequate protections, despite being the backbone of our nation’s food production.
Further compounding this, farmworkers are at the forefront of climate change-related challenges. They are 35 times more likely to suffer heat-related illnesses and deaths compared to individuals in other industries.
I am currently working with the Farmworker Association of Florida to study the health impacts of heat exposure on farmworkers, which underscores the urgency for immediate protections and actions to be taken.