| Western Center for Agricultural Health
and Safety University of California, Davis Effects of agricultural economic policy on farmer and farm worker health and safety Daniel Sumner, Agricultural Issues Center and Agricultural Personnel Management Program, University of California, Davis, CA Farmers and farm workers face high accident rates and other health challenges. Many government policies affect the health and safety of farmers and farm workers directly and indirectly. Examples include general health policy, immigration policy, social services for low income workers, health insurance and tax policy, and federal and state programs that address particular concerns of self employed farmers and seasonal farm workers. This presentation does not address these general health policies, but focuses rather on how economic policy for agriculture, including farm subsidy programs and trade policies, affect health and safety of farm workers indirectly. Farm subsidies in the United States provide a complex array of price supports, direct payments, and tariff protections from import competition. Subsidies differ by commodity, with higher subsidy rates for cotton, grains, and dairy and little subsidy for fruit, tree nut, and vegetable crops that use much of the hired farm labor. The subsidy policies raise farm incomes and farmland values for the commodities supported and slow shifts to less subsidized commodities that demand much more hired labor per acre. Recent trends towards program flexibility and current trade negotiations are likely to continue to reduce these production impacts of farm subsidies and facilitate the continued shift toward fruit, tree nut, and vegetable production. The privately funded medical insurance system in the United States means that U.S. farms face a significant cost disadvantage relative to farms in other developed countries, such as in Europe and Canada where more medical services are financed by general tax revenue. These differences are not yet a major issue in trade negotiations, but could become an item for discussion as U.S. farmers look for forms of government assistance that are consistent with WTO obligations to reduce direct farm subsidy. UC Davis Health System is pleased to provide this information for general reference purposes only. It should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice. You are urged to consult with your health care provider for diagnosis of and treatment for any health-related condition. The information provided herein may not and should not be used for diagnosis and treatment. Reproduction of material on this web site is hereby granted solely for personal use. No other use of this material is authorized without prior written approval of UC Regents. |