No farmers, no food: 2022 Schuneman Symposium

Maria Denny

md964019@ohio.edu

                                                      Photo courtesy of Clipart

The historical saying, "no farmers, no food," is ever-so-relevant in the eye-opening film produced by Daffodil Altan and Andrés Cediel. The daily sacrifice of being in the agricultural industry consumes your entire life, including your health. 

Coming from a long lineage of farmers in my family, I see what my relatives go through each day, especially during the pandemic. Where the agricultural industry is deemed essential, so is keeping good health. One element of farming that is different from most other lifestyles is that there is no on and off switch; farming is a commitment. There is always something that needs to be tended, something that needs to be aided, and something that needs to be planted or harvested. That is an exhausting cycle that is continued for generations of farmers that have passed and to come. 

This documentary touched on the individualized stories of farmworkers in California that underwent poor working conditions and health concerns throughout the pandemic. They were given limited to no protective wear for their safety, had to schedule COVID tests on their behalf, and were not offered paid time off, to name a few. 

When America's rich food resources grew to be questionably limited, the good health of the farmers has seemingly been pushed aside. In an ordinary world, this should be the other way around. To keep the retention and optimism rates high, one needs to pay attention to a humanizing standpoint, allowing the physical and mental health of the farmhands to be prioritized. 

According to The National Center for Farmwork Health, among 3 million farmers nationwide in the U.S., more than 1 million farmers have notably contracted COVID-19 at some point throughout the pandemic. As a result, many cases were not documented due to the management of companies, as mentioned in the film.

These said companies feared that they would have production issues if even an hour were 'wasted' testing for the virus, then lay off those who took time out of their workday to test. That causes an ethical disconnect between the safety of employees and continuing to turn a profit. 

If the farmers' lives are not considered, the scarcity of food resources will increase. This fact causes inflating food rates, growing health concerns, and questionable farming practices. 

If change has not happened, the stapled phrase will go without saying, no farmers, no food.