Environmental Justice and Farm Labor

ISBN-13: 9781138183155 / Angielski / Twarda / 2017 / 200 str.

Rebecca E. Berkey

Opis

Utilizing a model derived from literature on environmental justice (EJ) overlaid with multiple scales of agriculture, Environmental Justice and Farm Labor provides key insights about laborers in agriculture in the United States. It addresses three main topics: (1) justice-related issues facing farmers and laborers on farms; (2) how history and policy have impacted them; and (3) the opportunities and leverage points for change in improving justice outcomes. It explores who labors in U.S. agriculture and the justice-related issues facing these workers, including occupational injury and illness, lack of access to healthcare, substandard housing, hunger, low wages, issues pertaining to immigration, and the inability to organize. In addition, it assesses the impacts of labor, safety, immigration and international policy on laborers, and in particular the effects of organic and fair trade certification. Two detailed case studies, one based on conventional agriculture in Florida and the other on organic agriculture in the Northeast, highlight the interrelated but unique challenges facing those who labor in the different sectors of this complex agricultural system. Finally, it touches on justice claims and the role of grassroots activism in improving justice outcomes by highlighting organizations operating at multiple scales to contribute to the livelihood of farmers and laborers in the different areas of agriculture.

Spis treści

Introduction: Environmental Justice and Farm Labor  1. Environmental Justice and Framing Labor in Agriculture as a Justice Issue  2. Justice Issues Facing Laborers in Agriculture  3. A Brief History of and Impact of Policy on Laborers in US Agriculture  4. Case Study in Conventional Agriculture: The Farmworker Association of Florida  5. Case Study in Organic Agriculture: The Northeast Organic Farming Association   6. The Current Landscape of Change: Fighting for Justice for Agricultural Labor  7. Conclusion: What Will It Take to Change the Story?

O autorze

Rebecca E. Berkey is Director of Service-Learning, Northeastern University, Boston, USA, and Associate Director, Northeastern Environmental Justice Research Collaborative, USA.