Teleconference about farm workers and immigration policy

PRESS RELEASE

The Connection Between Farm Workers and Immigration Policy

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- The following is being released today by Bread for the World:

WHAT: Teleconference about farm workers and immigration policy

WHEN: Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 11 a.m. EST

WHERE: 1-877-419-7892. Conference Access Code: 119604#

WHO: Andrew Wainer, immigration policy analyst for Bread for the World Institute.

WHY: Bread for the World Institute examines the disparities and contradictions between U.S. agricultural and immigration policies. Most of the farm labor is done by immigrant workers, many of whom are not authorized to work in this country.

Bread for the World Institute's paper, "Farm Workers and Immigration Policy," is part of the 2012 Hunger Report. The farm worker fact sheet recommends a shift in agricultural policies to improve efficiency on the farms, encourage production and distribution of healthy foods, support rural development, and help farmers manage risk more efficiently.

"Many of these workers have been living in the United States for decades and are highly skilled laborers with lots of experience, but they have a constant fear of being deported," said Wainer. "The average age of a U.S. farm worker is 57. Very few young people are interested in following this profession, and those workers who have been doing this for years lack the protection of the law."

Farmers say the process to secure H-2A visas—the federal program that allows immigrant agricultural workers to legally work in this country—for their laborers is too complex and time-consuming. Many are reluctant to petition for visas for their workers if hiring unauthorized workers is easier.

Bread for the World (www.bread.org) is a collective Christian voice urging our nation's decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.

SOURCE Bread for the World

NOTE: To RSVP, please contact Isabel Morales at (202) 681-1770 or isabel@bread.org, or Racine Tucker-Hamilton at (202) 688-1138 or rhamilton@bread.org.