Pesticide exposure and heat stress conditions combine to present significant risks to the health and safety of the nation's farmworkers.
估计的2.4 million farmworkers in the United States are vital to US food production. They are also exploited, undervalued, and vulnerable to compounding climate change threats.
Our study examined the combined risks of heat stress and pesticides, 重点是加州, 佛罗里达, and Washington—states that lead the nation in pesticide use, 农场工人人数, and production of labor-intensive fruits, 坚果, 和蔬菜. We found that farmworkers in these states already experience substantial threats, 这很可能会升级.
Policies to protect farmworkers' well-being from the dangerous consequences of extreme heat and pesticides are urgently needed. The report offers a list of specific recommendations for Congress, 美国农业部, 以及其他联邦机构.