A newly formed coalition of U.S. farmers has launched the "Grow it Here" campaign, aimed at addressing ongoing labor shortages in the agricultural sector and advocating for policy reform.
During a press briefing, Zach Rutledge, assistant professor and extension specialist at Michigan State University's Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, said the U.S. agriculture industry remains heavily dependent on foreign labor, particularly workers from Mexico.
He explained that over the past several years, reliance on the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program has continued to increase. However, research shows the domestic farm labor supply is shrinking by about 1% per year.
"And what we basically find is that if you reduce the labor supply, that does affect fruit and vegetable production. And specifically what we find is that a 10% reduction of the labor supply can cause as much as a 4.2% reduction in production," Rutledge said.
The coalition behind the "Grow it Here" initiative says the campaign seeks to raise awareness among policymakers about the consequences of a tightening labor market on U.S. fruit and vegetable production. It aims to support the development of long-term labor strategies that ensure stable, sustainable agricultural output across the country.
Source: KJZZ Phoenix
