Human Trafficking in California’s Agriculture Industry

Nora is a second-year student at Grinnell College. She’s majoring in Biology, and is also a pub master at Grinnell’s Pub Quiz club. Originally from Bethesda, Maryland, she is currently taking a gap year to work as an anti-trafficking intern at the International Rescue Committee. She hopes to use the power of the media to inform others and inspire them to help change the world for the better.

The health and safety of workers on large agriculture corporations in the United States has long been contested. Between long workdays, scorching temperatures, and demanding physical labor, farm workers must take precautions for their health, such as drinking large amounts of water and taking frequent breaks out of the sun.

The chemicals used on crops can also have dangerous impacts on farm workers. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has long stated that the exposure to pesticides and other toxic chemicals has been linked to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and many cancers.

Many of the Californian agriculture industry’s workers are undocumented immigrants, lured from Mexico and South America into the industry with promises of higher wages, better work conditions, and protection from deportation. The American Dream also draws workers into California in hope of providing themselves and their families with a better life.

Agriculture corporations demand cheap physical labor, and some have filled their workforce by trafficking undocumented immigrants. Once in California, many of these immigrants are subjected to dangerous work conditions without pay or protection from the law. The Desert Sun writes that “a University of California study, covering five years, easily discovered at least 500 people from 18 countries working in slave-like circumstances in California. The UC study said 80 percent were female and half were children.”

California earns more income from their agricultural industry than any other state. The National Human Trafficking Hotline listed California as one of the leading U.S. states in human trafficking in 2018, reporting at least 1,656 cases, at least 261 of which were labor-related trafficking. According to the International Labor Organization, more than 3.5 million people are enslaved in the agricultural industry worldwide. While there is no way to give an exact statistic, specialists acknowledge that undocumented workers make up a significant portion of California’s— and the United States’ 1.18 million person—agricultural workforce.

However, there is hope for a better future for workers the agriculture industry. In 2012, the California State Legislature determined that businesses and consumers in California were contributing to the modern slavery and trafficking industry through their purchases. The Legislature resolved to prevent unjust labor practices through the Transparency in Supply Chains Act. This act decreed that all retail selling or manufacturing companies that earned at least $100,000,000 a year that are based in or doing business in California must “disclose the extent of their efforts in five areas: verification, audits, certification, internal accountability, and training.” California’s Transparency in Supply Chains Act marked a revolutionary step in the fight against human trafficking, but exploitation persists.

Much of the agricultural industry was established around slavery, and a better world is only attainable through stricter laws and collective acts of compassion for workers who are being exploited.

We, as consumers, can make a difference by supporting ethical companies that take workers’ rights seriously. Take time to research where your produce was harvested and whether the company treats its workers fairly. Buy fair trade certified fruits and vegetables whenever possible and support your local family farm. Most of all, advocate against labor trafficking and raise awareness of unfair labor practices in California and beyond.