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Farm Labor and Mexico’s Export Produce Industry
This ongoing project analyzes production and employment systems in selected commodities that are exported from Mexico to the United States.
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About half of the fresh fruit and a quarter of the fresh vegetables consumed in the US are imported. Half of fresh fruit imports and three-fourths of fresh vegetable imports are from Mexico.
Mexico's farms that produce fruits and vegetables for Americans hire local and migrant workers. There are no reliable data on the wages and working conditions of these farm workers. The purpose of this project is to develop statistically reliable data on the wages and working conditions of farm workers employed in export-oriented avocados, bell peppers, berries, cucumbers, and tomatoes, with a special emphasis how internal migrants are recruited, transported, and housed where they work temporarily.
The goal of the project is to work with all stakeholders, from farmers and workers to buyers, government agencies and NGOs, to develop mechanisms and strategies to improve protections for the workers employed in export-oriented agriculture.
This is a joint project of CIESAS, Migration Dialogue, and the Wilson Center. For further information, please contact Agustin Escobar, Philip Martin, or Andrew Rudman. We appreciate the support of the Walmart Foundation and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.
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Regional Notebook Series 4 - Working and Living Conditions in Mexico's Export Agriculture. Guanajuato's Bajío, 2020 -2022
We are pleased to publish Regional Notebook Series 4 - Working and Living Conditions in Mexico's Export Agriculture. Guanajuato's Bajío, 2020 -2022– a study that describes the development of one of Mexico’s most productive agricultural regions and assesses the conditions of the current agricultural workforce.
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Regional Notebook Series 3 - Industrial Agriculture and Working and Living Conditions in San Quintín, Baja California, Mexico
We are pleased to publish Industrial Agriculture and Working and Living Conditions in San Quintín, Baja California, Mexico – a study that describes the development of one of Mexico’s most productive agricultural regions and assesses the conditions of the current agricultural workforce.
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Regional Notebook Series 2 - The Culiacán Valley: A Divided Workforce
We are pleased to publish Regional Notebook Series 2 - The Culiacán Valley: A Divided Workforce – a study that describes the development of one of Mexico’s most productive agricultural regions and assesses the conditions of the current agricultural workforce.
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Regional Notebook 1 - Agricultural Change, Population, and Labor in the Zapotlán Valley
We are pleased to publish Regional Notebook Series 1 - Agricultural Change, Population, and Labor in the Zapotlán Valley.
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Report | Farm Labor and Mexico's Export Produce Industry
The Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute, along with CIESAS and Migration Dialogue, are pleased to launch a report on farm labor in Mexico’s export produce industry. The worker survey, focus groups, and data analysis made several recommendations to maintain areas of progress and to enhance worker protections in Mexico’s export agriculture in areas where social gaps and risks remain.
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Initial Findings & Key Recommendations: Farm Labor & Mexico’s Export Produce Industry
These initial findings & key recommendations are from the Mexico Institute's ongoing study on Farm Labor and Mexico's Export Produce Industry.
Meet the Farm Workers: Case Studies from Mexico's Export Ag Industry
Export agriculture is an important source of employment for many Mexicans. To understand more about these workers, we have six case studies that highlight different stories from farms in Mexico.
More Berries, More Workers: A Look into Jalisco’s Berry Export Industry
Mexico has seen an impressive increase in its berry production in recent years. The state of Jalisco, located on Mexico’s western coast, is one of the largest berry producers in the country.
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