Advocates say that gaps in federal regulations leave child workers vulnerable to the health risks of nicotine and pesticide exposure. Labor laws allow larger farms to hire kids as young as 12.
A new report highlights victims of human trafficking in the food industry, from farm workers to restaurant cooks and wait staff. Some victims are exploited for both sex and labor.
From his earliest days picking peas to improving wages and working conditions as a union leader, Cesar Chavez dedicated his life to giving voice to the exploited men and women who grow America's food.
Farmworkers in South Texas marched 200 miles for better wages and working conditions. But the strike ultimately failed, and workers today face the same problem: growers who systematically underpay.
Only about 2 percent of farm workers in the county are part of a union, and few have successfully negotiated contracts with farms. Workers at the Sakuma Brothers Farm are trying for both.