Elizabeth Jaime

Introduction

Elizabeth Jaime immigrated to California from Mexico over 20 years ago, where she has worked in the fields ever since. Her story is a testament to the harsh realities faced by agricultural workers throughout the country. In sharing her experiences, she advocates for the protection of farmworkers’ health and safety and the urgent need to address the use of harmful substances in agriculture.

Growing up in a family where both her parents worked in the agricultural industry, Elizabeth’s journey in farming began in 2003, picking and packaging grapes. Through her experiences, she has witnessed the detrimental effects of harmful pesticides and dangerous chemicals on herself

and her fellow workers. She quickly learned the temporariness of the work: she transitioned between various crops, including citrus, beans, onions, dates, okra, and chilies, performing physically demanding tasks with little to no protection.

Elizabeth recalls working in extreme conditions, hunched over, bent, or on her knees for hours, which proved exhausting and painful. The pay for these laborious tasks was minimal, especially when it came to cutting onions, where she earned less than a dollar for a full sack. Working with plants like dates is very dangerous, Elizabeth says, as the plant can cut your hands, and employers do not provide gloves or any sort of personal protection.

Exposure to harmful chemicals

Prior to working in agriculture, Elizabeth had never experienced allergies or allergic reactions to anything. However, soon after becoming an agriculture worker, she developed allergies and experienced rashes and swelling of the eyes and mouth. The constant exposure to pesticides and hazardous chemicals in her work had a significant impact on Elizabeth's health. However, accessing adequate medical insurance was not easy, as many jobs required employees to work for 60 to 90 days before qualifying, and the insurance did not cover most necessary treatments. And as her reactions to new chemicals were most prominent when she first started, having access to proper health insurance during that period was crucial for Elizabeth's well-being.

Elizabeth’s story is not an isolated case. She has witnessed and known instances of coworkers who have suffered severe harm due to exposure to pesticides and dangerous chemicals. In one particular instance, she recalls that a colleague had to be rushed to the hospital after a strong chemical reaction, resulting in his hospitalization for several days and long-term health issues thereafter. The chemicals he was instructed to use were later discovered to be illegal, highlighting the lack of transparency and proper safety measures in the industry. Elizabeth also witnessed the development of asthma in a friend and observed a high prevalence of similar health issues among her peers.

Elizabeth’s perspective on the importance of protecting the environment and workers' health has been shaped by her personal experiences in agriculture. As a farmer, she has witnessed climate changes, extreme heat, and constant exposure to dangerous chemicals. Elizabeth expresses her concerns about the contamination of the water and air in her living area due to the chemicals used in the surrounding fields. She recognizes that if measures are not taken to protect the land and the health of workers, everyone will suffer the consequences.

‘There is no food without the farmer’

Elizabeth criticizes current policies for inadequately addressing the exposure and effects of chemicals on the health of agricultural workers. "They do not consider the air we breathe or the contamination that affects those who eat outdoors, schools, and children playing outside," says Elizabeth. Farmworkers are aware of the contamination because they can smell it on their clothes and skin. Those who have not personally experienced the adverse effects of chemicals on their skin and eyes often lack compassion or are unaware of what should be included in policies.

Policies like the 2023 Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act (PACTPA) introduced by Senator Cory Booker aim to address some of the issues Elizabeth has highlighted. The bill would protect farmworkers by banning some of the most toxic pesticides, suspending and reviewing the use of pesticides deemed unsafe in other countries, requiring injury reports and for EPA to review the reports, improving pesticide label instructions, and including labels in languages other than English for better comprehension by all workers. However, without the necessary information and resources to exercise these protections, Elizabeth says workers will remain vulnerable to risks.

We need education, health, and housing programs

Elizabeth recommends increasing education for workers about their rights and the need to ensure they are respected. Equitable and inclusive changes are also needed in programs to access food, housing, and medical insurance for agricultural workers. Elizabeth highlights the need to change the thinking and discourse surrounding agricultural workers, so they are valued for their essential contribution to food production. She recognizes that without farmers and farmworkers, there would be no food for the population. Elizabeth specifically mentions the situation in Florida, where she observes a narrative that undermines the essential contributions of agricultural workers. They are often perceived as unwanted, despite their crucial role in cultivating the land and producing food. This shift in perception is necessary, as it is becoming increasingly evident that there is a need for workers in the fields, especially when labor shortages arise due to a lack of available workforce.

Elizabeth Jaime’s personal experience highlights the need for significant changes in policies and regulations within the agricultural industry, as well as increased awareness and understanding among individuals about the challenges agricultural workers face. For this reason, Alianza has endorsed and encouraged legislation that creates opportunities for farmworker input representation in the USDA such as the “Voice for Farmworkers Act of 2023” and “Supporting Our Farm and Food System Workforce Act of 2023.”. Only through collective action and an inclusive approach can we achieve a healthy environment and fair working conditions in agriculture.