Meet the Farm Workers: Case Studies from Mexico's Export Ag Industry
These case studies are part of the Mexico Institute's ongoing study "Farm Labor and Mexico’s Export Produce Industry."
Wilson Center
Mexico is a major producer of fresh fruits and vegetables for export. As the demand for year-round fresh fruits and vegetables increases so does the need for farm labor. Export agriculture is an important source of employment for many Mexicans. There is incredible diversity in the profile of a farmworker. Year round, men, women, youth, indigenous people, local residents, and internal migrants work to harvest the fruits and vegetables we eat here in the United States every day.
To understand more about these workers, below are six case studies that highlight different stories from farms in Mexico.
These case studies are part of the Mexico Institute's ongoing study on Farm Labor and Mexico's Export Produce Industry, funded by the Walmart Foundation, with research support from the Center for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology (CIESAS-Occidente) and Migration Dialogue.
These case studies were obtained by Cecilia Salgado & Elisa Alejandra Martínez.
Contributors
Rachel Schmidtke
Advocate for Latin America, Refugees International
Agustín Escobar Latapí
Professor, CIESAS Occidente; Director, Jornaleros en la Agricultura Mexicana de Exportación
Angela Robertson
Mexico Institute
The Mexico Institute seeks to improve understanding, communication, and cooperation between Mexico and the United States by promoting original research, encouraging public discussion, and proposing policy options for enhancing the bilateral relationship. A binational Advisory Board, chaired by Luis Téllez and Earl Anthony Wayne, oversees the work of the Mexico Institute. Read more
