Did you know that farm work is twice as deadly as law enforcement and five times deadlier than firefighting? According to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, agricultural workers have a seven times higher rate of work-related death than the national average.

These horrifying statistics make you wonder; there are so many labels in the grocery store, from Certified Organic to Animal Welfare Approved, to non-GMO, to Fair Trade. One is bound to support the rights, wages, and health of farm workers, right? The answer is more complex than you’d think. This article will give a brief history of the Certified Organic label and then dive into the labels that actually assist farm workers in the US.

What is the Certified Organic food label, and where did it come from?

Besides the nutrition label, the Certified Organic sticker is one of the most well-known food labels in the US. Although the organic movement started back in the 1970s, it wasn’t until 1990 that the Organic Foods Production Act was enacted as part of the U.S. Farm Bill. This Act established the National Organic Program and National Organic Standards Board to regulate and define the “certified organic” sticker. To receive and maintain an Organic Certification, food must contain at least 95% organic ingredients, i.e. no synthetic growth hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, biotechnology, artificial additives or preservatives, or irradiation can be used in production or processing. In addition, food must also be grown or raised using organic farming methods.

While the Organic label might positively impact consumers, it doesn’t mean anything in terms of farm workers’ rights or labor. Over the past twenty years, big farms that sell to wholesale grocery stores have been consistently decreasing wages and upping working hours to squash their smaller competition. And even though you may have seen some labels that seem to protect farm workers, they usually don’t apply to domestically-grown food. For example, the Fair Trade Certified™ seal only applies to food harvested in 62 countries outside of the US.

Do any labels represent US farm workers?

Sadly, precious few labels make similar claims for food workers in the US, and yet, farm workers are:

• Not protected under the National Labor Relations Laws, and neither are their children
• Exempt from many protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act
• Not entitled to overtime pay or mandatory breaks
• Not protected from retaliation by federal law when engaged in labor organizing
• Not entitled to receive attorney fees

Some farm workers don’t even have access to toilets, hand-washing facilities, or drinking water. As you might imagine, this made COVID-19 rates among farm workers much worse over the past two years. As a result, Purdue University estimates that over 936,000 workers have tested positive for coronavirus.

Modern food certifications

For as many deplorable conditions as US farm workers endure, there aren’t any USDA-approved labels that reflect their fair treatment. But there are several organizations outside of USDA that have created their own certifications: the Agricultural Justice Project (AJP), the Equitable Food Initiative (EFI), and the Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA).

• AJP — AJP’s Food Justice Project started in 1999, and coined the “Food Justice Certification.” This Certification requires employers to offer farm workers social security, unpaid sick leave, workman’s compensation, disability, unemployment coverage, and maternity and paternity leave. In addition, these farms must have achieved USDA Organic certification as a baseline.
• EFI — The Equitable Food Initiative’s “Trustmark” came out in 2014 and indicates that food was responsibly grown with special attention paid to pest management and food safety under fair working conditions.
• ROA — Established in 2017, ROA is comprised of business leaders, farmers, soil experts, social activists, and animal welfare specialists. Together, they’ve created the Regenerative Organic Certified™ label for food, textiles, and personal care ingredients. Their mission is to encourage farms to use regenerative practices as part of a long-term solution for the climate crisis, factory farming, and fractured rural economies.

What you can do to help farm workers

Luckily, this has spurred more activity in recent years, with new organizations popping up, putting their own spin on helping farm workers.The organic movement shone a light on the issues that farm workers face. Farm workers have one of the most arduous, dangerous, exploitative jobs in our country, and our health depends on their livelihood. But the labels that currently influence consumer behavior are completely missing the mark. In order to build a more sustainable food ecosystem, we need widely recognized labels that prioritize farm workers’ safety and well-being.

The first step is to educate yourself on where your food comes from, and then consider volunteering your time or donating money to institutions that serve and support farm workers. And if you already work for a farm worker-focused organization, visit the Entidad website to learn about how digital transformation can help you reach more farm workers than you ever thought possible.