Last week, Western Growers joined other members of the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) in sending a letter to President Donald Trump. The letter emphasized the importance of immigration reform for America’s farmers and ranchers. The letter, signed by 70 groups representing a diversity of commodities and regions, called for reforms that ensures American agriculture has a legal, stable supply of workers—in both the short- and long-term—for all types of producers.

The letter references the economic issues at stake for food and fiber producers and the rural communities in which they operate. Additionally, signatories pointed out that chronic labor shortages threaten jobs beyond the farm, citing the fact that two to three “off-farm” jobs are created for each farm worker engaged in labor-intensive crop or livestock production.

Additionally, the letter highlights the importance of immigration reform in connection with securing our border, saying, “We support strengthening our border, and we believe to do so we must also relieve pressure on the border by providing a lawful path for foreign workers to enter the U.S. on a nonimmigrant basis.”

View the letter to President Trump

For more information, contact WGs’ Ken Barbic at (202) 296-0191.