By AGree’s bipartisan group of Co-Chairs: former U.S. Agriculture
Secretary Dan Glickman, former U.S. Agriculture Deputy Secretaries Jim Moseley
and Kathleen Merrigan and former U.S. Agency for International Development
Assistant Administrator Emmy Simmons
There is reason to believe that we
can move beyond the current political impasse and find solutions to address the
need for foreign-born labor in U.S. agriculture. AGree recently convened
leading voices on immigration, who laid-out several potential pathways forward.
Reform has been elusive in this
emotionally-charged debate. AGree’s diverse advisors found common ground in
2014 when we issued consensus
reform recommendations. With the issue front and center in the presidential
campaign and a window of opportunity opening when a new President is elected,
it was a good time to have an honest, open discussion about small steps, as
well as systemic change.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) shared recent data showing the number of foreign-born farmworkers in the
United States is declining, as is the number of unauthorized workers from
Mexico. Meanwhile, average real wages in agriculture are rising faster than for
workers in other sectors and the number of H-2A certifications has risen
dramatically, with the number of visas doubling in some states since 2011. Yet
as one panelist put it, the shortage of agricultural labor has gone from being a
priority to an urgent concern that’s jeopardizing the success of farms. Some
believe labor shortages may be a contributing factor behind increases in
domestic spending on imported produce. According to the Partnership for a New
American Economy, U.S. spending on imported produce increased 79 percent between
1998 and 2012.
Many believe the current system fosters
a black market with many negative effects. When demand for workers exceeds the
supply, bad practices and abuses often result. Beyond the illegal labor market,
succession plans hang in the balance on many U.S. farms where younger
generations have moved away. Experienced, foreign-born workers could help to
fill this gap if allowed to do so.
Agriculture could, several panelists
argued, rally behind improvements to our current system even absent
comprehensive reform. This means not giving up on legislation or circumventing
the system, but rather, legitimately modifying regulations and programs in a commonsense
way that eases labor pressures on agriculture. Much discussion focused on changes
to the H-2A program. Options for action include: allowing for visa portability,
allowing for more flexible movement and housing of migrant workers, and
consideration of recommendations offered by the U.S. Government Accountability
Office in 2012, such as allowing a single petition per season. USDA could assist
in alleviating the burdens on an overwhelmed Office of Foreign Labor
Certification at the Department of Labor. These were just a few of the ideas
discussed.
Several panelists cautioned that the
approach must be systemic. If we dramatically expand the number of workers
allowed to legally migrate without addressing the status of many current
workers, for instance, those already laboring in the fields may remain in the
shadows forever. On the other hand, some fear that if we grant legal status to
current farm laborers – as an isolated act – workers may seek employment in
other sectors, exacerbating the shortage in agriculture. There are many interconnected
issues that must be addressed.
Thoughtful, honest dialogue that
brings real solutions to the table is critical to inspire and inform meaningful
change. A new Administration provides an opportunity for diverse interests who
care about the long-term viability of food and agriculture, including the
welfare of farmworkers, to come together to support changes that will benefit
the sector and our country.
#30
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