Agriculture
Agriculture and farming is a cherished part of American identity and remains an important part of the American economy. In 2020, the agriculture, fishing, and forestry industries contributed more than $175 billion to U.S. GDP and supported more than 2.3 million workers. The health of America's farms and the agriculture industry, however, is tied directly to immigration. Farmers frequently worry about finding enough workers as few Americans seem willing to take on the most difficult and physical farm jobs—particularly those harvesting fresh fruits and vegetables. Yet the H-2A visa, the only agricultural visa currently available to American farms, is too expensive and cumbersome to work for many U.S. growers. We explore this issue—and the way it costs our economy—below.
Why Washington’s farms need immigration reform
ACCORDING to conventional wisdom, elected officials avoid controversial issues in election years. So far this year, our political leaders in Washington, D.C., have lived up to those expectations. Posturing between U.S. House Republicans, the Democratic Senate and the White House has again revealed how difficult and frustrating the… Read More
Immigration Reform Needed This Year
Most of us in agriculture have known for many, many years that our country’s immigration system needed to be revised and updated. A recent survey of the Partnership for a New American Economy found that voters want Congress to act on immigration reform this year with 71 percent… Read More
Tea Party Express Co-Founder Backs Immigration Overhaul Efforts
The co-founder of and chief strategist for one of the biggest tea party organizations is coming out in support of overhauling the nation’s immigration laws, a bold statement that could energize advocates and alienate conservatives. Sal Russo of the Tea Party Express broke the news in an op-ed titled… Read More
Conservatives Need to to Fix the Broken U.S. Immigration System
Sal Russo is the co-founder of the Tea Party Express. The U.S. immigration system is flawed and broken. Conservatives should be at the forefront of reform so the law reflects the just interests of the United States, not misty-eyed ideals of some of the liberal do-gooder reformers. What is good… Read More
My view: Utah’s agriculture industry needs immigration reform
The need for immigration reform has united individuals from various sectors, including business, education and religion. But one group — our nation’s farmers — feels particularly strongly about this issue, and with good reason. On our farm, we use the H2A program exclusively because we don’t have a choice if… Read More
SW Ohio Business Leaders & Immigrant Entrepreneurs Meet with Congressman Steve Chabot to Discuss Immigration Reform
CINCINNATI, OHIO – A group of influential business executives from Southwest Ohio met with Congressman Steve Chabot, (OH-01) earlier today to discuss the issues they are facing when it comes to America’s dysfunctional immigration system. The leaders, who come from industries including aerospace engineering, high-performance manufacturing, and nursery & gardening,… Read More
Natorp: We need immigrant workers
Ken Natorp is chairman of W.A. Natorp Corp. In 1916, my grandfather, William A. Natorp, a German immigrant and horticulture student, placed an advertisement in a Cincinnati flower shop window for landscape services. In a short time, he realized he could not get the quality of plants he needed for… Read More
Immigration reform a must for farmers, ranchers
My wife and I, along with my brother, his wife and our parents, operate a 500-cow dairy and a 350-cow beef business near Floresville, south of San Antonio. We also have 4,500 acres under cultivation. In addition to the six family members, we have eight full-time employees, and we sometimes… Read More
Press Release: Arkansas Agriculture and Business Leaders Call for Immigration Reform in New Video Released by Partnership for a New American Economy
Video titled “IMMIGRATION REFORM: Across Arkansas” features interviews with state leaders and farmers who voice real concerns in an attempt to spur immigration reform LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—Two weeks after the Partnership for a New American Economy released a study detailing how labor shortages have led to an increased… Read More
Texas business groups call for immigration reform
AUSTIN — Texas retailers, restaurants, hotels and farmers say they need immigration reform to continue to expand their operations. A coalition of trade groups launched a coordinated effort Monday morning to get more low-skilled workers. Members include the Texas Restaurant Association, Texas Association of Retailers, Texas Hotel and Lodging Association… Read More
Immigrants and American Farms
In 2019, more than half of all hired farmworkers in the United States were immigrants, or roughly 450,000 workers. In many states known for their fresh produce, immigrant farm laborers make up large shares of miscellaneous agriculture workers—the occupation that includes those hand picking crops in the field.
Share of Miscellaneous Agricultural Workers in Crop Production, Undocumented, 2019
Farm Labor Shortages
In recent years, the number of new immigrants arriving in the country to work in agriculture has fallen by 75 percent. Rising wages indicate this has led to a major labor shortage on U.S. farms—making it difficult for many growers to stay in business or expand their operations. The workers left are also aging rapidly, meaning shortages will likely worsen as they retire.
Decline in Key States
The Aging of Foreign-Born Farm Workers
The Cost of Our Farm Labor Shortage
Because agriculture is intertwined with so many other industries in our economy—such as transportation, packing, and irrigation—a shortage of farm workers hurts the U.S. economy more broadly. We estimate U.S. growers would have produced $3.1 billion more in fresh fruits and vegetables per year by 2014 had farm labor not been an issue. The table in this section shows the costs to the U.S. economy for failing to meet this target.
Rising Imports
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables Americans eat that is imported. Although many factors play into this phenomenon, we estimate labor shortages alone explain 27 percent of the market share decline experienced by U.S. growers from 1998-2000 to 2010-2012. Had growers maintained their hold on the domestic market, an estimated 89,300 additional U.S. jobs would have been created by 2012.
Jobs Americans Won’t Do
U.S. fresh produce growers have long said that few, if any, American workers are willing to take on the most arduous farm jobs. We studied this issue in North Carolina, examining how many American workers actually applied for heavily advertised farming positions in 2011, a period when the country was still recovering from the recession. The table in this section shows the results.
The H-2A Visa
The H-2A visa program, the only visa currently available to bring in temporary agriculture workers, is too cumbersome and unworkable for many farms. Farmers desperate for workers frequently go through the application process only to receive their laborers late, resulting in crop loss.
Sources:
1 “Why Domestic Agriculture Needs New, Workable Farm Labor Alternatives Now,” National Council of Agricultural Employers, 2011. Available online.
2Ibid.
3Ibid.
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