Food systems workers have been notably absent from discussions about building a just and sustainable food system in Massachusetts, despite the fact that they are employed in some of the most labor intensive industries in some of the lowest paying jobs. Currently we have only a piecemeal understanding of the issue with information on labor conditions and labor practices spread across a diverse set of workers’ organizations, non-profits, employers and government agencies.
The aim of this one-day conference is to bring together stakeholders including farm owners/employers, farm and retail food workers, farm worker representatives,worker activists, government, and university faculty and students to begin to share what we know about the conditions workers face, and to take the first step in developing a research and action plan to improve labor conditions in the Massachusetts food system.