“ Valorar el trabajo de farmworkers”: A thematic analysis of input from farmworkers, advocates, and students in a community documentary project about the future of farm work

Abstract

Farm work is one of the nation’s most hazardous occupations, and migrant and seasonal farmworkers face significant health inequities. Awareness and understanding of the needs of this population are crucial in assuring they receive appropriate support. Documentary programs can raise awareness of community member views to better inform services and advocacy efforts. Visions for the future of farm work were collected from farmworkers and persons supporting them through a community-based, participatory documentary project led by Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF) from 2021 to 2022. Seventy-nine submissions from participants in North and South Carolina, including text responses and file uploads, were collected and thematically analyzed. Five themes were identified: (1) employment benefits and conditions, (2) living conditions, (3) health access and quality, (4) dignity and visibility of farm work, and (5) policy change for a better future. The visions for the future of farm work expressed by these agricultural workers, advocates, and students raise important implications for agricultural communities, public health practitioners, researchers, funders, and policymakers. Application of these findings in the development and delivery of public health services for farmworkers has the potential to positively impact the morbidity and mortality rates of this at-risk population.