By Professor Susan A. Schneider
This website is for educational purposes only. It does not provide legal advice. It is designed as a companion website to the book Food Farming & Sustainability, but it is also a publicly available freestanding resource. While efforts will be made to keep resources current, I cannot promise that I will keep ahead of all of the changes. Links to helpful resources will be provided.
New developments are added each week, so please check back frequently.
Documents & Links
Reports:
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H-1B, H-2A, and H-2B Temporary Worker Programs: Resources for Data and Statistics Cong. Res. Serv. Rep. No. R48446 (Mar. 7, 2025)
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Measuring Employment in the Agricultural Sector in the Context of the H-2A Visa Program, Cong. Res. Serv. Rep. No. R48368 (Jan. 24, 2025)
DOL News:
USDA Actions Impacting Labor
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USDA announces allowance of increased line speeds for poultry and pork processing plants, Secretary Rollins Takes Action to Streamline U.S. Pork and Poultry Processing, (Mar. 17, 2025)
Websites
General Legal Resources
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U.S. Code (statutes)
Agricultural Law Resources
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Dept of Labor: Wage & Hour Division, Agricultural Employment
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Dept Of Labor: H2A Temporary Agricultural Program
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USDA ERS Immigration and the Rural Workforce
2010 - present
2010 - present
The Food Chains documentary chronicles the efforts of the Immokalee Workers of Florida to influence the global supermarket industry through their ingenious Fair Food program, which partners with growers and retailers to improve working conditions for farm laborers in the United States.
As explained in Food, Farming & Sustainability, "agricultural labor" has a legal definition, and it does not apply to the workers employed at meat and poultry processing plants. These workers are, however, a critical part of the farm-to-table food system, and their working conditions also often raise similar legal issues.
GAO Report: Workplace Safety and Health: Additional Data Needed to Address Continued Hazards in the Meat and Poultry Industry, GAO-16-337 (Apr 25, 2016).
The Northwest Arkansas Worker Justice Center, Wages and Working Conditions in Arkansas Poultry Plants (Feb. 1, 2016) (for discussion of report and response from Tyson Foods, see Chris Hickey, Study Finds Worker Abuse in Arkansas Poultry Industry, UALR Public Radio (Feb. 5, 2016).