The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently awarded $50 million to 141 recipients in 40 states and Puerto Rico, through the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program. The funds, according to the USDA, will reach 177 unique agricultural operations and over 11,000 workers.
The awards are intended to focus on agriculture labor challenges, resiliency and instability, strengthen protections for farmworkers, and expand legal pathways for labor migration.
“These awards will largely support small and mid-sized farms to ensure they can hire and retain the workers they need to be competitive in the market, while also lifting up rural communities across the country,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
The agency announced the FLSP Program in September last year, in coordination with other federal agencies, to help address workforce needs in agriculture; promote a safe and healthy work environment, as well as ethical recruitment for farmworkers; and support lawful migration pathways for workers, including expansion of labor pathways for workers from Northern Central America, through the H-2A visa program.
