Farmers are essential but vulnerable to coronavirus. Is the US food supply at stake?

Workers in fields, orchards and packing plants are considered essential during America’s coronavirus pandemic, but if measures aren’t taken to provide them with proper protections from COVID-19, it could have a ripple effect on the nation’s food supply.

Reports of sick farm workers around the U.S. are popping up more frequently, from seasonal agricultural workers in North Carolina to meat packing plants in Washington state, according to reports from McClatchy.

The latter involved an outbreak at a Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Washington state’s Tri-Cities area, which resulted in the infection of 39 people connected to the plant, McClatchy reported.

Agricultural workers are especially at risk because many of them lack soap and protective equipment, CNN reported. They also face greater risks because they have limited access to medical care and often live and work in crowded conditions, according to CNN.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization “dedicated to protecting human health and the environment,” says as more workers fall ill, the greater the chances that the country’s food supply chain will unravel. That will result in sky-rocketing food costs and a growing number of Americans facing food insecurity, according to EWG.

Two meat processing plants have been forced to close after workers got sick, EWG reported. It’s likely the lack of social distancing practices at the facilities had to do with the infections, as workers are usually expected to work shoulder-to-shoulder and use crowded spaces to eat and change clothes, according to EWG.

Another obvious problem is sick workers contaminating the food supply, risking widespread infection, according to National Geographic. It’s unclear just how many workers might have coronavirus, considering testing is limited in rural regions, National Geographic reported.

The agricultural west is entering its picking season, which raises concerns about the pressure for workers to push through symptoms to continue to earn money, National Geographic reported. Many of them are not eligible for benefits under the CARES or Families First acts passed by Congress, due to their immigration statuses, according to National Geographic.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) sent a letter to congressional leaders in Washington proposing that new legislation include protections for agricultural workers, such as legal protection from deportation; direct financial assistance for workers; and pandemic premium pay, sick pay and family leave, The Hill reported. Although reporting indicates that the Trump administration is considering a reduction to farmworker salaries to bolster the agricultural industry, according to The Hill.

This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Farmers are essential but vulnerable to coronavirus. Is the US food supply at stake?."