Senator Michael Bennet has introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate in an attempt to address farm labor challenges. The Affordable and Secure Food Act seeks to reform the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker program. Bennet was joined by several U.S. Representatives, farm workers, and agricultural organizations during the announcement Thursday morning. Bennet said the legislation is the “last, best chance” to accomplish an H-2A overhaul to help support farmers faced with continuing labor challenges.
“The agricultural industry has waited many years to have a reliable, legal workforce. This legislation will address the critical need to provide a pathway to legal status for current, undocumented employees, while also improving the existing guest worker program,” said Ian LeMay, President of the California Fresh Fruit Association. “There is no doubt that agriculture has waited many years for immigration reform, and we are optimistic that this bill will finally accomplish this goal.”
Groups including the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Potato Council, and International Fresh Produce Association joined Senator Bennet for the announcement. The legislation specifically seeks to provide H-2A visas for year-round jobs, modernize the application process, and lower the cost of rural housing for farm workers. More than a dozen agricultural organizations including the National Farmers Union and National Milk Producers Federation have issued support for the legislation.
“The Bennet bill will provide regulated legal status to experienced agricultural workers and make desperately needed improvements to the existing guest worker program to better meet future farm labor needs,” Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia said in a press release. “Approval of the Affordable and Secure Food Act will help ensure a stable, legal agricultural workforce and secure the reliability of our domestically produced food supply. The alternative – the deteriorating status quo – is to resign ourselves to food insecurity as we increasingly rely on foreign countries to provide food for our nation.”
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