COVID-19 Will Hit US Farms If Precautions Aren’t Taken To Protect Workers

“Their workflow includes moments in time where large numbers of people are often together in small spaces.”

By Kristen CabreraApril 6, 2020 4:07 pm, ,

Experts say the way the food supply chain, including supermarkets and other grocers, has reacted to the spread of the coronavirus, protecting consumers and workers. But a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Chase Purdy, a food business reporter writing for Quartz, says the weakest link in the food supply chain might be at the beginning – on farms and ranches.

“Farm workers who work in the food system have been deemed essential and so they are are not sheltering in place. They are able to show up for work. A large [part] of their workflow includes moments in time where large numbers of people are often together in small spaces,” Purdy says.

This practice could affect what produce is available in stores and cause temporary shortages.

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– What farm works are saying puts them at risk

– What farmers need to do to protect their workers

– Why the pandemic has seemed to be slow to reach rural areas

– How the U.S. produce supply chain could be affected