Centro de oportunidades del Valle Central

National Farmworker Awareness Week (NFAW) is a week of action for communities and individuals to bring attention to farmworkers and honor them for the contributions they make to our daily lives. NFAW is celebrate during March 23-31, 2025.

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Why does CVOC celebrate National Farmworker Awareness Week?

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Farmworkers nourish the world—85% of our fresh fruits and vegetables are hand-harvested. In the United States, an estimated 2.5 to 3 million men, women, and even children labor in the fields. Every state, including yours, relies on farms, yet the people behind our food supply remain unseen, enduring harsh and unjust working conditions. Farmworkers deserve dignity!

Agricultural labor is among the most hazardous occupations in the country. Those who cultivate and gather our produce face the highest rates of toxic chemical exposure of any workforce in the nation. They also suffer from disproportionate cases of heat stress, dermatitis, urinary tract infections, parasitic diseases, and tuberculosis. Safe working conditions for farmworkers are a necessity, not a privilege!

Farmworkers are not afforded the same legal protections as other workers. They are often denied overtime pay, unemployment benefits, and even basic rights when organizing for better conditions. Nearly all major labor laws of the 1930s excluded farmworkers, and while the Fair Labor Standards Act was amended in 1978 to require minimum wage on large farms, it still does not guarantee overtime pay. It's time to end this injustice and ensure farmworkers receive fair treatment under the law!