'Awareness Week' In March To Celebrate American Farmworkers

National Farmworker Awareness Week will be celebrated by a non-profit social enterprise in the US between March 25-31 to focus on the multiple challenges farmworkers face and to honour their contributions.

The event will be held by Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) – workforce development and certification organisation – that partners with growers, farmworkers, retailers, and consumer advocacy groups.

Consumers, agricultural associations, and others will be encouraged to share messages honouring farmworkers who make it possible for Americans to have access to high-quality, fresh and safer fruits and vegetables, particularly in light of Covid-19.

This commemorative week will be observed with hashtag-AlwaysEssential, where everyone in the supply chain can get involved by sharing the key messages and graphics provided in EFI's free communications toolkit.

EFI is encouraging industry members and consumers alike to speak as one voice and continue to amplify the message that farmworkers are #AlwaysEssential.

This will include sharing the communications toolkit and information across the agricultural industry, creating unique content or videos for social media using the hashtag.

Further, it will provide "live" content for social media channels featuring farmworker interviews detailing their jobs, the safety precautions they take and the skills and knowledge they bring to their work.

Asking state governors or legislative officials to draft a proclamation supporting Farmworker Awareness Week and hosting socially distant events in celebration of farmworkers are also part of it.

Local media will be urged to share information about the role of agriculture and farmworkers in local economies during this period.

Farmworker Awareness Week is an effort to recognize the essential role workers play in ensuring the availability, quality and safety of our food.

Consumers do not see them, but farmworkers grow, harvest, process, and pack fresh food for stores every day. Nearly 2.5 million workers are on farms and ranches throughout the United Sates, performing hard and skilled labour.

It is estimated that there are 4,25,000 farmworkers working in the fresh produce industry alone.