Michigan’s Thousands of Farmworkers Are Unprotected, Poorly Paid, Uncounted and Often Exploited

Despite the value they bring to Michigan’s famous fruit festivals, new research from a U-M study shows that the living conditions of many seasonal and migrant farmworkers are unsafe and unhealthy. These workers experience food insecurity, fears of polluted drinking water, high rents, low wages, and a general lack of safe, affordable, and quality housing. Public health scholars Lisbeth Iglesias-Rios and Alexis Handal’s community-centered research brings attention to the human rights aspect of this issue.