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Past Event

US-Mexico Farm Labor Policy Recommendation Launch

Agriculture is at the nexus of two of the most significant policy platforms for the Trump administration, namely, trade and migration. Ultimately, how this administration chooses to implement immigration, labor, and trade policy, and importantly, and how it will approach USMCA review, is still to be determined. Much will depend on the cooperation of the Mexican government on border security and tackling organized crime.

To ensure that this relationship remains productive and mutually beneficial, the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institutes will host a summit online on February 12th to celebrate the publication of policy recommendations on agricultural trade, temporary worker visas, and labor law compliance.

This public event will bring together government and private sector stakeholders, as well as labor, migration, and trade experts to exchange perspectives on the outlook for regional cooperation and policy actions to advance North American food security, competitiveness, and leadership.

Related Publication

Trabajadores en la Agricultura de Exportación de México: De la Investigación a la Acción Acuerdos y Recomendaciones
  • Publication
  • Food and Agriculture

Trabajadores en la Agricultura de Exportación de México: De la Investigación a la Acción Acuerdos y Recomendaciones

Este documento resume los acuerdos y recomendaciones alcanzados por el Grupo de Trabajo del proyecto a través de múltiples intercambios, trabajo con gobiernos y organizaciones, y visitas in situ realizadas en los Estados Unidos y en México desde marzo de 2023 hasta enero de 2025. El objetivo era acordar una hoja de ruta consistente en acuerdos y recomendaciones realistas y detallados que puedan mejorar significativamente las condiciones de reclutamiento y trabajo en el sector agrícola mexicano. Hay un camino desafiante por delante. Sin embargo, el consenso sobre las acciones en cuestión es crítico para el éxito.
Posted date/time:

Related Publication

JORNAMEX
  • Publication
  • Food and Agriculture

Workers in Mexico’s Export Agriculture: From Research to Action Agreements and Recommendations

This document summarizes the agreements and recommendations reached by the project’s Task Force via multiple exchanges, work with governments and organizations, and site visits taking place in the U.S. and Mexico from March, 2023 to January, 2025. The goal was to agree on a road map consisting of realistic, detailed agreements and recommendations that can significantly improve recruitment and working conditions in the Mexican agricultural sector. There is a challenging road ahead. Nevertheless, consensus regarding the actions concerned is critical for success.
Posted date/time:

Related Publication

H-2A visa for foreign worker into the United States for temporary agricultural work. Vector illustration
  • Publication
  • Food and Agriculture

H-2A Reform Scenarios

US farms employ an average 1.5 million farm workers, including 1.1 million or three fourths on crop farms. Due to seasonality and turnover, about 2.5 million individuals are employed for wages on US farms sometime during a typical year. Two million or 80 percent of these hired farm workers were born in Mexico, including 1.7 million who have settled in the US and 300,000 who have H-2A visas. These settled Mexican-born farm workers are aging out of farm work. Some are replaced by younger Mexican H-2A workers who are hired by 15,000 US agricultural employers for an average six months. This means that 160,000 full-time equivalent H-2A workers account a seventh of average employment on US crop farms. Three changes could benefit H-2A employers and H-2A workers: ABC ratings of employers and workers, expediting the yearly return of experienced seasonal crews, and favoring fewer and larger H-2A recruiters.
Posted date/time:

Speakers

Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Professor emeritus of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis
Agustín Escobar Latapí
Agustín Escobar Latapí
Global Fellow;
Professor, CIESAS Occidente; Director, Jornaleros en la Agricultura Mexicana de Exportación
Darci Vetter
Darci Vetter
Food Systems Policy expert, exploring the intersection of agriculture, climate and international trade
Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern
Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern
Associate Professor, Geography and the Environment Department, Syracuse University

Hosted By

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

Mexico Institute