But because farmers are largely from Latin America (63% were born in Mexico) and nearly half are undocumented, “it’s hard for them to talk about (their) working conditions,” Chicas says. Workers are usually careful not to attract attention that “may threaten their livelihood”.
They are more likely to do so if they are supported by an organization like the Farmworker Association of Florida, which organizes farmworkers in the state. FWAF has partnered with the Emory program for more than a decade, recruiting farmers to participate in the studies and assisting them with their management.
There is “a lot of trust” among program participants, says Ernesto Ruiz, research coordinator at FWAF. Ruiz, who participated in data collection in Florida last year, says there was a waiting list to participate in the project because there was so much interest — even though participants had to arrive at dawn before a long day of work.
Participants had vital signs taken to support sensor research. They also learned about blood glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL and LDL levels. That data, Ruiz says, “(doesn’t) serve any purpose as a predictive variable for heat-related injury.” However, community members have asked for more health checks as farmers have almost no access to health care. If health issues arise during the study, FWAF will work to connect workers with health care providers or free or low-cost clinics.
“Social participatory research can’t just be extractive, getting data and stories,” says Ruiz. “It has to give something in return.
Work on technology to measure heat stress in agricultural workers could feed back into policy development. “We need to be able to empirically document, with non-controversial evidence, the brutal working conditions that farming communities face and the toll it takes on their bodies,” says Ruiz.
Although the Biden administration has proposed regulations, there are currently no federal standards to protect workers from extreme heat. (Only five states have their own heat standards.) Areas interested in adding protection may face headwinds. For example, in Florida, after Miami-Dade County proposed heat protection standards for outdoor workers, the state passed legislation to prevent localities from issuing their own heat rules, citing the impact such standards could have on employers.
Meanwhile, temperatures continue to rise. With workers “constantly, chronically” exposed to heat in environments without protective standards, Chicas says, the sensor could offer its own form of protection.
Kalena Thomhave is a freelance journalist based in Pittsburgh.
