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Source: USDA, 6/10/22
President Biden joined leaders from across the Western Hemisphere
to present the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection at the
Summit of the Americas. The Declaration seeks to mobilize the entire region
around strong actions to bring the historic migration crisis under control. The
Declaration is organized around three key pillars: (1) stabilization; (2) legal
pathways and protections; and (3) humane migration management. In preparation
for the Summit, the United States and other countries in the region developed a
suit of bold new migration-related deliverables.The full economic contribution of the food and agriculture industries is estimated to be nearly $7 trillion. The industries account for nearly one-fifth of the country’s economic activity, directly contributing $2.7 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product and supporting more than 40 million jobs[1]. The key to the success of these industries is millions of farmworkers. The COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the importance of these workers and their contributions to our nation’s food security, and simultaneously highlighted challenges of labor instability, irregular migration, and the need for increased labor protections in order to increase the resiliency of our food system and supply chain. To address these
challenges, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in coordination with the
other federal agencies will develop a pilot program utilizing up to $65 million
in American Rescue Plan funding to provide support for agricultural employers
in implementing robust health and safety standards to promote a safe, healthy
work environment for both U.S. workers and workers hired from Northern Central
American countries under the seasonal H-2A visa program. For more of this story, click here.
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