Farmworkers in the U.S. face systemic barriers that trap them in dangerous jobs with minimal protections, advocates and recent reports show. These conditions create what one researcher described as “environmental injustice,” where workers lack access to capital, land, and fair regulations that could allow them to farm independently.
“If they had legal status and weren’t treated poorly because of their immigration status, if they weren’t fleeing difficult conditions in their home countries, they might farm for themselves,” she said. “Instead, they remain farmworkers because the system controls their options.”
Pesticide exposure risks extend beyond direct handlers
The Union for Concerned Scientists found that most pesticide poisonings involve field workers who don’t apply chemicals. Employers often neglect to post warnings about recently sprayed fields or provide proper protective equipment. Even when gear is available, training on how to use it is rarely adequate.
Studies show that PVC gloves, commonly used for protection, can break down in high temperatures, reducing their effectiveness. Workers’ clothing and skin can carry pesticide residue home, exposing family members. “We tell people not to hold their children when they get home until they’ve changed clothes and showered, because they’ll pass the contamination to their kids,” Economos said.
Long-term pesticide exposure has been connected to cancer, depression, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and reproductive problems.
Related: Launch delays spark industry alarm
Heat-related deaths reveal deeper safety failures
Heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States. Every year, thousands of U.S. workers suffer heat-related illnesses and injuries. A total of 1,042 worker deaths related to heat were documented between 1992 and 2022, an average of 34 annually, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), citing the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Advocates say the absence of legal protections for farmworkers—many of whom lack documentation—fuels exploitation. Without legal status, workers avoid reporting violations, fearing job loss or deportation. Even basic rights, such as clean drinking water or rest breaks, are not consistently enforced.
The long-term effects often go unnoticed. A worker exposed to pesticides today may not show symptoms for years. By then, proving the connection to their job becomes difficult, and compensation claims are frequently rejected. Heat stress follows a similar pattern—dehydration and exhaustion can lead to kidney disease, but the link isn’t always immediate.
Solving these problems would require major changes to labor laws, immigration policies, and corporate practices that value profit over safety. Until then, workers keep showing up, aware of the risks but with few other choices. Government response to public health crises has faced criticism for similar delays.