COVID-19 and California farm labor
Philip Martin
Abstract
he stay-at-home orders issued in March to slow the spread of COVID-19 exempted essential farmworkers. This article addresses three major questions: will there be enough farmworkers in California for the remainder of 2020, how can farmworkers be kept safe at work and home, and how will COVID-19 influence key long-term trends linked to farm labor, including rising wages and the growth of mechanization, migrant guest worker programs and imports of fresh produce?
Topics & Concepts
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Agriculture2019-20 coronavirus outbreakSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Agricultural economicsPandemicBusinessGeographyEconomicsOutbreakVirologyBiologyMedicineArchaeologyPathologyInfectious disease (medical specialty)DiseaseAgriculture and Farm Safety