California’s farming industry has been strongly impacted by extreme weather events, including severe rainfalls that triggered mudslides, flooded communities, and killed numerous people while stripping others of their main sources of income and possessions. The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that between 1.1 million and 1.9 million farmworkers and their family members face high levels of food insecurity. As a result of wildfires, heatwaves, drought and floods, various farm laborers are working fewer hours and their income has steadily decreased. Although the agricultural industry heavily depends on these vulnerable communities, farmworkers in California only earned an average $12 an hour, according to a 2015-2019 federal survey. Furthermore, many workers are undocumented and thus rarely qualify for unemployment, SNAP benefits, or state support such as the Calfresh Program. Farmworkers are part of the foundation of the United States and we must fight for their rights and lives.
