Source: UNIV OF WISCONSIN submitted to
UNDERSTANDING DOMESTIC FAIR TRADE FOR AGRICULTURE OF THE MIDDLE
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1009001
Grant No.
2016-68006-24821
Project No.
WIS01917
Proposal No.
2015-07598
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
A1601
Project Start Date
Feb 15, 2016
Project End Date
Feb 14, 2019
Grant Year
2016
Project Director
BELL, M. M.
Recipient Organization
UNIV OF WISCONSIN
21 N PARK ST STE 6401
MADISON,WI 53715-1218
Performing Department
COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENTAL SOCI
Non Technical Summary
This two-year participatory research project proposes to explore fair trade strategies through a comparative analysis of global and domestic fair trade in different policy contexts, and case studies of businesses using negotiation, coalitions, certification, and public policy to improve working conditions and returns on agricultural labor. We seek to better understand how different actors in a supply chain drive the fair trade strategies, and how fair trade issues differ between dairy, perennial fruit, and annual vegetable production. In year one we will conduct the case studies and in year two we will elaborate research findings in conjunction with project partners - Domestic Fair Trade Association and Labor Network for Sustainability. We will extend the research findings through at least three workshops with farmers and farm workers with support from the Wisconsin Farmers Union and UW Extension School For Workers.Even though market demand for regional values-based food is relatively strong, farmers remain price takers rather than price makers in most supply chains. An indicator of success for regional food production economies is labor availability, fair working conditions and adequate income streams for all who move food from the fields to markets, particularly hired labor. Given there is a labor shortage in agriculture, what can be done to improve labor conditions and wages? "Fair trade" may offer strategies for securing labor for values-based supply chains, especially if there is reason to think there are multiple improvements that could be made to market relations and public policies to support regional food production.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
6106110301034%
6106099308033%
6106050300033%
Goals / Objectives
We propose to address farm labor issues of relevance to farms that fall into the Agriculture of the Middle scale, where farmer, family and hired labor is critical to the farm's success, but also where labor is not adequately compensated in the marketplace. Even though market demand for regional values-based food is relatively strong, farmers remain price takers rather than price makers in most supply chains. This could be alleviated through strategic, negotiated supply chain partnerships, coalition-building, policy reform, and market-based fixes such as certification and strategic product marketing. We will be looking at the full playing field for farms at midscale - market signals such as fair trade certification, negotiation strategies such as member organizations and government guidelines, a full range of system drivers (farmer-led, consumer-led, supply chain-led), and different production strategies (animal, perennial and seasonal) to scope out the dynamics and flow of food systems and labor issues. Participatory research looking at these issues will allow for a complex diagnosis of the needs, challenges and opportunities to improve labor conditions necessary to strengthen regional food systems.Research objectives:Our research aims to understand domestic fair trade activities and clarify opportunities to develop a values-based labor market and income stream for regional food production. This will be done through participatory research with food system actors, by developing case studies of businesses committed to fair labor practices, and by applying the lessons learned from the global fair trade experience. AOTM businesses are organizing to address these issues and we are engaging them in the research process to ensure that the work is grounded in real-world concerns. We will look at business cases from the standpoint of farmers, aggregators, and consumers to better understand how fair trade concepts and certification impact labor relations and the structure of agriculture. We propose to conduct case studies investigating three supply chains; that of dairy, perennial fruits, and annual vegetables, since labor needs are different for these product categories. A comparative analysis of global fair trade as applied to domestic labor and market structures and national policy differences will help us learn from the global experience. We propose to use United National International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions as one labor baseline for businesses, and apply existing research on commercial fair trade initiatives for the comparative analysis.Extension objectives:This integrated project aims to facilitate collaborative, participatory research with actors engaged in domestic fair trade activities, as collaborations for fair trade or through fair trade certification arrangements. We aspire to facilitate robust social networks among the research team and collaborators and to bring the labor conversation into existing and potential social networks. Farmer-worker meetings are a natural outgrowth of the participatory research relationships and will provide a rich context to shape the case studies and better understand the ramification of global research findings in a domestic context.Long-range improvement in and sustainability of US agriculture and food systems:This project will elevate the issue of just workforce development for midscale agriculture. We expect it will demonstrate the opportunities and challenges to building a workforce necessary for a values-based regional food system. We propose to link global research and governance to domestic needs in such a way that stimulates farmer -worker discussions. We think these discussions will lead to innovative approaches to scaling up resilient regional food systems. Previous research supports the value of mid-scale farms in food supply chains (Stevens and Pirog 2008). The proposed work will address one of the primary limitations to mid-scale business development in food systems.
Project Methods
We propose to investigate agricultural labor issues relevant to mid-scale values-based supply chains for fruit, vegetable and dairy. Each of these mid-scale values-based supply chains has unique labor needs. Fresh fruit supply chains are dependent on perennial production cycles (winter pruning, summer insect and disease management, fall harvest), and midscale farm labor needs are generally tied to a narrow harvest window. Vegetable cropping systems are annual or may involve strategies to extend the growing season. They involve crop rotations, intensive weed management and multiple harvests over a growing season. Dairy production systems provide a 12 month supply of products and rely on a consistent labor supply year-round.In looking at market structures with a "farmer/labor first" approach, we also want to understand power dynamics in wholesale supply chains. Which actors have power and influence in any given chain and which actors do not? The organizing impulse for values-based supply chains can come from farmers, supply chain integrators or consumers. Understanding the power dynamic of each may assist practitioners in improving labor conditions within values- based supply chains.In year one, most of the work would revolve around engaging collaborators, advisors and stakeholders to ensure that research has a clear connection to stakeholder needs. We propose to identify additional participants and convene the advisory committee to discuss research strategies, develop interview questions, choose cases, and discuss parameters for the economic analysis. The group would weigh in on organizing farmer-worker events so that primary stakeholders are fully integrated into data collection and analysis efforts. Much of the data for the project will be collected in the first year.In year two, work will start to shift from data collection to data analysis and synthesis. Faculty / student / collaborator contributions to understanding fair trade in both a global and domestic context and from a market-based and public policy approach will be explored and shared with the larger group. Lessons learned from case studies will be folded into this understanding of fair trade, as will on-going farmer/ farmworker conversations. As understanding emerges, project participants will shift into outreach mode, including their extensive networks in discussions of project results. We expect the project will also result in a number of conference presentations and journal articles.

Progress 02/15/16 to 02/14/19

Outputs
Target Audience: The target audiences for this project were farmers, farm workers and other agricultural professionals who are interested in decent work in agriculture. We also wanted to reach other researchers and policy makers who may be looking for fact-based research to understand issues pertinent to agriculture of the middle. Changes/Problems:Challenges: Because the field is rapidly changing, our research boundaries evolved to reflect the churn. It required us to update the cases multiple times and to integrate new information into the synthesis. Working with a large team has also required more time than anticipated. As a result, we requested an extension to a third year to finish the project. We had hoped to secure grants to bridge this project into future research, but our next set of proposals were not funded (submitted in 2017, 2018, 2019). Additions: Peter Hurst's full day workshop on Decent Work in Agriculture was a valued addition to the initial proposed project. Peter was an early addition as a project advisor and made us aware of the concept of and work around "decent work" being done internationally. While planning for the December 2016 DFTA conference, the group decided there was sufficient interest to bring Peter to the conference for a full-day training, as well as a short overview presentation. This required a budget change so that we could underwrite his travel expenses. The Wisconsin Workers' Rights Card was also not in the original proposal but suggested based on input from advisors and others involved in the project. Advisor Alexia Kulwiec of the UW Extension School for Workers had the expertise to pull together content for the card, and project partners distributed it to their constituencies. We learned that there is interest in this topic from Extension educators and another farm labor project in process in the Northeast states. These new relationships bode well for on-going work on the topic of domestic fair trade. We also learned about additional policy strategies that could be investigated such as supply management and anti-trust programs. Personnel changes: Due to significant staffing changes, the scope of work for partner and sub-awardee Labor Network for Sustainability morphed. Instead of researching and writing a paper mapping labor's role in agriculture and food in the New Food Economy, LNS staff played a key role in researching and writing one of the case studies. Infinitely more challenging was the departure of the project manager in the last year of the project. Despite the change in management, we've been able to complete all products as promised. This was more difficult than expected, given multiple authors and the coordination required. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional development was central to this project. All team members - community partners, faculty, staff, graduate students - benefited from professional development opportunities throughout the project. Team members gave many project presentations. These presentations were part of the research and evaluation design, part of our outreach efforts, and also provided professional development opportunities. In addition to participating in events where we made presentations, team members attended the following learning opportunities: 2016: Domestic Fair Trade Association annual conference, Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) gathering on fair labor, Domestic Fair Trade Association annual conference (two were conducted 11 months from each other), workshop on decent work in agriculture 2017: Domestic Fair Trade conference, the Midwest CSA conference; the Harvard Just Food conference; the Northeast Organic Farming Association's Labor Forum. 2018: Development of a SARE PDP proposal for the North Central Region to share concepts and applications of domestic fair trade (not funded, and intending to resubmit.)Student opportunities to author drafting written products including journal articles, case studies, extension materials. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?PRODUCTS- A working group evolved to draft written products. These include: A project report that documents three conceptual frameworks for domestic fair trade; an economic analysis comparing farm labor issues to other "low skill" jobs; short summaries of six case studies on domestic fair trade; and a synthesis detailing emergent patterns. This report will be printed and available on-line. It is currently being edited. A project report that documents three conceptual frameworks for domestic fair trade; an economic analysis comparing farm labor issues to other "low skill" jobs; short summaries of six case studies on domestic fair trade; and a synthesis detailing emergent patterns. This report will be printed and available on-line. It is currently being edited. A journal article on the economic analysis, currently under review. y campaign; Minimum wage campaigns; Farm Apprenticeships; and the Good Food Purchasing Program. Outside review, editing and layout and design of one case study is complete and that case is posted to the web. Full cases will all be posted to the web. Summaries of the cases will be added to the project final report, currently under edit in preparation for outside review. Some cases will be written for publication in academic journals. Case study authors are Kelly Maynard, Sarah Janes Ugoretz, Michelle Miller, Sarah Lloyd, Ryan Saunders, Becky Glass, Lindsey Day Farnsworth, Laura Frye-Levine, and Larry Burmeister. Five cases for use in classroom and professional development were researched and written: Organic Valley supply chain; Wisconsin CSA farms; Milk with Dignity campaign; Minimum wage campaigns; Farm Apprenticeships; and the Good Food Purchasing Program. Outside review, editing and layout and design of one case study is complete and that case is posted to the web. Full cases will all be posted to the web. Summaries of the cases will be added to the project final report, currently under edit in preparation for outside review. Some cases will be written for publication in academic journals. Case study authors are Kelly Maynard, Sarah Janes Ugoretz, Michelle Miller, Sarah Lloyd, Ryan Saunders, Becky Glass, Lindsey Day Farnsworth, Laura Frye-Levine, and Larry Burmeister. A Worker Rights card (in English and Spanish) was created in response to farmer and worker requests. This is a wallet-size resource, available for download from the project website. Printed cards have been widely distributed. Alexia Kulwiec and Kelly Maynard were lead authors. Carusi and Michelle Miller are the lead on the web page. A web page was created to share products from the research. https://www.cias.wisc.edu/fair-trade/ Cris Carusi and Michelle Miller are the lead on the web page. PRESENTATIONS- Project findings have been shared at numerous events throughout the project. These presentations, the audience questions and discussions that ensued were central to project design and on-going evaluation. Presentations included: UW Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems Citizen Advisory meetings 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Agriculture, Food and Human Values annual conference presentation, June 2018. NC1198 Working Group on Agriculture of the Middle, October 2018. Presentation to the International Association on Work in Agriculture, Workshop on "transversal views on work in agriculture" with a focus on improving agricultural labor relations. Maringa, Brazil, November 2018 Course planning for Agroecology graduate seminar on agricultural labor issues - December 2018/January 2019 Upper Midwest CSA farmers, Extension agents, and other CSA support organizations at the Midwest CSA Conference in December 2017. Domestic Fair Trade Association members and support organizations from around the United States and Canada at the DFTA annual conference in Atlanta, GA, Portland Oregon (twice). Consumer Cooperative Management Association conference presentation on labor issues June 2017. Use of Fair Trade Principles in Store Management Resilience conference, Stockholm, Sweden August 2017 Tri-county Regional Economic Development annual meeting, November 2017 International Rural Sociological Association meeting, Toronto, Canada, August 13, 2016. "Eating Justice: Can Domestic Fair Trade Yield Fair Returns to Labor?" and. Panel: "The Justice of Agroecology: Practice and Politics," International Rural Sociological Association meeting, Toronto, Canada, August 12, 2016. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS The first area of research was to understand fair trade concepts used in an agricultural context. Michelle Miller, Peter Hurst and Erika Inwald identified three conceptual frameworks that were then applied to case studies. The three frameworks were: from research on agriculture of the middle (AOTM); an international framework, since agricultural trade is global; and a national framework developed by a coalition of workers and businesses. We found all these frameworks useful in understanding domestic fair trade. ECONOMIC ANALYSIS The second area of research was to analyze data from USDA's Farm Labor Survey, the US Department of Labor's National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS), and the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey to compare farm labor wage and earnings outcomes across agricultural settings and beyond agriculture. Brad Barham was the lead on this work, and two students and colleagues at USDA Economic Research Service participated. We found: Earnings and wages of citizens are generally 10% higher than for non-citizens with some notable exceptions, with average wage levels generally well above the federal minimums and frequently above state minimums as well; Farm worker earnings and wages (especially for non-citizens) are very similar to those of other low-skill sectors, except construction (which we argue is probably not fairly labeled as low-skill); Earnings and wage regression results further support the idea that farm workers are similar to other 'low-skill' workers for what they bring to and receive from the labor market; The worst earnings outcomes and to lesser extent wage outcomes appear to be present in the low-skilled occupations which are predominantly done by women. The regression analysis suggests a 15-40% earnings gap for women, most but not all of which is explained by lower hours worked. Poverty outcomes are relatively high (above 20%) for all of the sectors except construction; this includes farm workers whose relative outcomes are somewhat worse than their labor market outcomes might suggest; and, Access to health insurance is the huge gap that separates citizen and non-citizen workers across all of the sectors, with about 80% of citizens having coverage and well under 50% of non-citizens having coverage. We draw two major conclusions. The challenges facing farm workers are consistent and roughly the same as those facing other low-skilled workers. Wages and earnings, from full-time employment even of two family members, are frequently insufficient to generate incomes that lift their households above the poverty line. Policies and programs that focus on expanding the broader social contract in terms of minimum wages or earnings as well as the provision of basic needs, such as access to decent food, housing, child care, and health care will be critical to helping farm workers. Child care provision could be especially critical to help women expand their earnings potential. At the same time, in an era of low farm incomes, programs aimed at the expansion of social supports and services seem less likely than major increases in legislated minimum wages to generate direct and contested tradeoffs with respect to the earnings of farmers-in-the-middle for whom labor costs can be a significant portion of their expenses. CASE STUDIES The third area of research was to investigate examples of fair trade efforts and consider them in the context of the frameworks and economic analysis. The case studies involved interviews, focus groups, participation in conferences, surveys, and secondary source research to understand context. Cases were researched by Laura Frye-Levine, Larry Burmeister, Kelly Maynard, Sarah Lloyd, Michelle Miller, Ryan Saunders, and Lindsey Day Farnsworth. Case studies detail each effort and provide insight into challenges faced when improving working conditions and compensation. The project team chose six cases: Minimum wage campaigns. We report a number of reoccurring patterns over the last eighty years. There is a difference of opinion between businesses on minimum wage. Cities initiate the change, based on cost of living pressure. Businesses reliant on hired labor, rather than family or community labor, resist improvements. Research indicates there are both negative and positive outcomes when raising the minimum wage, but that overall there is a positive impact on the economy. Farm apprenticeships. We report on emerging certification programs for farm skill and the recognition that organizing labor is an important step for stabilizing the work force. The Milk with Dignity campaign is an example of a successful worker-organized supply chain improvement effort that built a worker-farmer coalition to improve working conditions for hired workers and market conditions for farmers through negotiation with a processor and its multinational owner. Labor and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) details the results from focus groups and three cases. Improving and stabilizing farm income is accomplished through member involvement and through wholesale market diversification. As farm income improves, so do working conditions and compensation for the farmer, the farm family and hired workers. Organic Valley and Organic Logistics. Lessons learned include the importance of a business commitment to specific rural communities, the difficulty improving conditions across a supply chain, and the need improve governance to upgrade social supports. Good Food Purchasing Program. Lessons learned include the importance of negotiation and coalition building to realize public benefits, and the tenacity required to develop inclusive and enforceable standards. RESEARCH SYNTHESIS The fourth area of research was to synthesize findings from the first three areas so that we could assess what patterns emerged. Michael Bell and Sarah Lloyd led this effort, with the participation of Michelle Miller, Cris Carusi, Sarah Janes Ugoretz, Lindsey Day Farnsworth, and Kelly Maynard. Decent work is not an automatic result of embedding other values into supply chains. Farmers are squeezed by markets and the costs of production, especially labor costs. Non-wage benefits that augment a worker's wages and get them towards decent work are obtained by organizing with others to create public programs or work with employers to voluntarily provide benefits. Certification can be applied creatively through the supply chain. Programs that certify working conditions, skills, and procurement policies can meaningfully improve working conditions. Creating space for regular, good faith negotiation aids in overall communication and allows workers to assist management in improving productivity. Supply chain coalitions are effective means to improve compensation and working conditions for farmers and hired labor. Engaging the supply chain has allowed workers and farmers to negotiate more effectively with buyers. Participatory governance is necessary at different scales and indicates greater market organization. Civic engagement can be seen in the policies that business develop as well as in the ways we govern ourselves in the public sphere. The energy, time and resources that go into negotiation and coalition building are where the power dynamics shift and improvements to governance outcomes emerge. Agreements, contracts, and laws can be developed so that they respond to anticipated change rather than addressing issues at one point in time, and must be monitored and enforced. Success at improving compensation and working conditions comes with set-backs. It takes years of sustained effort for improvements to emerge. Improving working conditions takes time and tenacity from each generation of workers.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2019 Citation: Bradford L. Barham, Ana Paula Melo da Silva, and Thomas Hertz (forthcoming) Earnings, Wages, and Poverty Outcomes of US Farm and Low-Skill Workers in Applied Economics and Policy Perspectives.


Progress 02/15/17 to 02/14/18

Outputs
Target Audience:-Upper Midwest CSA farmers, Extension agents, and other CSA support organizations at the Midwest CSA Conference in December 2017. -Domestic Fair Trade Association members and support organizations from around the United States and Canada at the DFTA annual conference in Atlanta, GA. -Consumer Cooperative Management Association conference presentation on labor issues June 2017. Use of Fair Trade Principles in Store Management - Alexia Kulweic and Michelle Miller -International climate change scientists and public policy makers at the Resilience conference, Stockholm, Sweden August 2017 - -Extension agents, food businesses and public officials at the Tri-county regional development annual meeting November 2017 Changes/Problems:Because the field is rapidly changing, our cases evolve to reflect this. It has required us to update the cases multiple times and to integrated new information into the synthesis. Working with a large team has also required more time. As a result, we requested an extension to a third year so that we may finish the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We attended a number of conferences to learn more about issues and needs facing farmers and farmworkers, including the Domestic Fair Trade conference in Atlanta, GA; the Midwest CSA conference; the Harvard Just Food conference; the Northeast Organic Farming Association's Labor Forum. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Extensively through practitioner conferences. The team has met with and presented to farming organizations and NGOs working on agricultural labor. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Because the field is changing rapidly and we have a large team of writers, we requested a third year for the project. During this extension period, we will finalize the case studies, finalize the economic study, and continue presentations on the topics covered in the research. We will draft a report that includes cases, economic analysis and findings, available for download on our web site and the Agriculture of the Middle website. We will draft journal articles to share what we learned with the academic community.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The project team convened quarterly and case study writers convened monthly through most of the year. We shared early drafts of the case studies and began the process of synthesizing the various narratives. In some cases, the case study stories were expanded or contracted so that a fuller, more coherent narrative could emerge. Many of the cases are actively developing so they were regularly updated. A separate group finalized the Worker Rights card and translated it into Spanish. The economic analysis continued and also morphed to include more than food workers in the "low skill" category. The UW-Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems added labor to a topic at its biannual Citizens Advisory Committee meeting. We convened and facilitated a discussion around decent work at multiple CSA farmer meetings. We conducted a formal focus group for farmers and a separate focus group for farmworkers. We presented at a number of events in the second year. This helped to coalese the team and brought to light connections that we had not yet understood. Joint presentations and audience questions and comments were an excellent way to evaluate and improve upon the research as it progressed. For this reason, we proposed extend the project by a year and to share findings in Year Three.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Peter Hurst. Workshop on Domestic Fair Trade in Agriculture, day-long session offered at the Domestic Fair Trade Association Conference, Portland Oregon.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Sarah Lloyd, Michelle Miller, Kelly Maynard, Ryan Saunders. 90 minute session on Domestic Fair Trade for Agriculture of the Middle, at the Domestic Fair Trade Association Conference, Portland, Oregon.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Sarah Lloyd, Kelly Maynard, Michelle Miller. 90 minute presentation on Fair Labor Practices at the Upper Midwest CSA conference in Eau Claire, WI.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Larry Burmeister, Sarah Lloyd, Kelly Maynard. Presentation on domestic fair trade at the the Rural Sociological Society annual meeting.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Erika Inwald. Poster at the Harvard Just Food Forum conference. Domestic Fair Trade and Decent Work: Connecting Agricultural Frameworks.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wisconsin Workers Rights Reference Card: Farmworkers, Food Workers, All Workers.


Progress 02/15/16 to 02/14/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Michael Bell, Michelle Miller, and Sarah Lloyd," Eating Justice: Can Domestic Fair Trade Yield Fair Returns to Labor?" International Rural Sociological Association meeting, Toronto, Canada, August 13, 2016. Michael Bell, panel chair, "The Justice of Agroecology: Practice and Politics," International Rural Sociological Association meeting, Toronto, Canada, August 12, 2016. The target audience for this presentation and panel were other rural sociologists and food system developers engaged in similar work around the United States and Canada. Michelle Miller's presentation at the AFRI project directors' meeting in September 2016 connected the project to other agricultural labor research around the country. Alexia Kulwiec's panel participation on "Workers' Rights Throughout the Food System" at the Domestic Fair Trade Association annual conference reached DFTA membership, fair labor advocates and practitioners, as well as farmers. The conference took place in Portland, OR and participation was from across the United States. Changes/Problems:Peter Hurst's workshop in Decent Work in Agriculture was a valuedaddition to the initial proposedproject. Peter was an early addition as a project advisor and made us aware of the concept of and work around "decent work" being done internationally. As Michelle participated with Erika in planning for the December 2016 DFTA conference, the group decided there was sufficient interest to bring Peter for a full-day training. The development of the Wisconsin Workers' Rights Card was also not in the original proposal but suggested basedon input from advisors and others involved in the project. Advisor Alexia Kulwiec of the UW Extension School for Workers has the expertise to pull together content for the card, and project partners are excited to distribute it to their constituencies. Due to significant staffing changes, the scope of work for partner and subawardeeLabor Network for Sustainabilitychanged. Instead of researching and writing a paper mapping labor's role in agriculture and food in the New Food Economy, LNS staff will play a key role in researching and writing one of the case studies, as well as, creating a training curriculumproviding anoverview of the evolution of US agriculture, food, and trade policy,current forces shaping US farm and food policy today, and principlesfor shaping a transition. There is no alteration to the budget. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1) Advisors Alexia Kulwiec and Larry Burmeister attended the January 2016 Domestic Fair Trade Association annual conference. 2) Laura Frye-Levine represented the project at the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) gathering on fair labor and domestic fair trade in August 2016. She met one of the representatives of the Milk With Dignity campaign to initiate her case study. 3) Michelle Miller served on the planning committee for the December 2016 DFTA conference, helping to recruit speakers and presenters and shape the agenda. 4) We organized a full-day workshop on Decent Work in Agriculture, led by project advisor Peter Hurst, the day before the December 2016 Domestic Fair Trade Association annual conference in Portland, OR. The workshop had 25 participants from organizations around the country. The workshop explained the international bodies working on labor in agriculture, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Labor Organization. Peter detailed how the United Statesdoes and does not participate in various fair labor conventions, and where points of leverage are for those working on fair labor domestically. 5) Kelly Maynard, Michelle Miller, Larry Burmeister, Alexia Kulwiec and Sarah Lloyd attended the Decent Work training and also the December 2016 DFTA conference. Alexia presented on the panel "Workers' Rights Throughout the Food Chain". How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Aside from participation inconferences, presentations of early findings, and organizing opportunities like the Decent Work in Agriculture training, there has been no formal dissemination of project findings. Project research is still being conducted. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The focus of the second project year will be on completing research and producing written findings. The team writingcase studies will finalize a format and template for full case study elaboration. The CIAS communications team will assist in creating 2-page summaries for each case study. We will also create a synthesis report that ties together the findings of the case studies with the economic analysis on returns to labor in agriculture across the United States. The team working on the Wisconsin Workers' Rights card will complete the card, send it to outside reviewers, get the card translated into Spanish, and begin to disseminate both English and Spanish versions of the card at conferences and other events as well as through project partners. Larry, Sarah and Kelly will report on early findings of the case studies at the Rural Sociological Society annual meeting in Columbus, OH in July 2017. Sarah, Kelly and Michelle will give background on the project and provide findings from the CSA case study at the Midwest CSA Conference in December 2017. Michelle, Alexia and Kelly are organizing a panel for the Consumer Cooperative Management Association annual conference in Minneapolis, MN in June 2017. The panel will give an overview of frameworks for decent work and how they apply to unionization efforts at grocery cooperatives. Michelle has been invited to present at the Resilience 2017 conference in Stockholm, Sweden in August. Her presentation will include themes and findings from the project. Brad and students will complete their econometric analysis and prepare papers for academic publication. Brad will also participate in crafting the synthesis report.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The project team convened quarterly and assisted in the identification of appropriate case studies for the project. Case studies being conducted are: Organic Valley supply chain; Wisconsin CSA farms; Milk with Dignity campaign; efforts for $15/hr minimum wage; Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship and other apprenticeship programs; and the Good Food Procurement Program. Case study writers - Kelly Maynard, Michelle Miller, Sarah Lloyd, Ryan Saunders, Laura Frye-Levine, and Larry Burmeister began research and interviews for their cases. Sarah Lloyd and Michelle Miller convened farmer and farmworker focus groups as part of the CSA case study. Sarah also facilitated conversations on labor challenges with CSA farmers at the annual gathering of the Western WisconsinCSA Farm group. Based on needs assessments and inital case study work the team decided to develop a Workers' Rights Card for Wisconsin. This will be a wallet-sized resource, printed in English and Spanish, that will cover essential legal information for farmworkers, food workers, and all workers. The card is currently being drafted with Alexia, a lawyer by training, as the lead. We created a page on the CIAS website for information on the project and to eventually post the case studies and other resources that are developed. Brad Barham, along with two students, accessed and are analyzing data from USDA's Farm Labor Survey and the US Department of Labor's National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS)to compare farm labor wage and earnings outcomes across agricultural settings and beyond agriculture. Their analysis proposal includes cross-tabular and econometric analysis of the survey data including: Wage/earnings comparisons for different types of ag labor versus similar 'skill' labor categories in surrounding markets. Both recent measures and time trends in these comparisons looking first across the country including the 16 national regions. Wage/earnings comparisons for different types of ag labor across different farm types (e.g., livestock versus veggies) Wage/earnings comparisons for different types of ag labor across different farm types at different 'farm revenue' categories (to see whether small farms, ag in the middle, or large farms differ). Similar to iii except doing it across farm types based on acreage or livestock numbers to capture size of operation rather than revenues. Wage/earnings comparison for different types of ag labor across seasons to exploit the winter/spring (January/April) versus summer/fall (July/October) to see whether some of the previous analyses exhibit important seasonal variations relative to one another or going wage rates in the region. Exploratory regressions to identify sources of variation in wages within and across ag labor types including region or even state fixed effects, farm types, farm size categories, and number of workers in each category. Some of same cross-sectional analysis in B1 above at fine-grain level of state or farm type or farm size across time periods. Similar wage/earnings comparisons to above based on native versus immigrant worker status and years of experience for same two groups. To do any comparisons at more fine-grained level than nationally will require multiple years of data to reach statistically representative sample sizes; Health insurance/access, disability, and worker comp comparisons across farm types, labor types, or comparisons by state using multiple years. Work spell comparisons (months of work at same place) for labor types and farm types (to see which jobs are more seasonal and require frequent changes in location). Access to housing and services (e.g. ESL classes, GED, food stamps, Medicaid) for labor types and farm types. Kids' welfare (child care/schooling) for labor types and farm types

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Michael Bell, Michelle Miller and Sarah Lloyd, "Eating Justice: Can Domestic Fair Trade Yield Fair Returns to Labor?" International Rural Sociological Association meeting, Toronto, Canada, August 13, 2016.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Michael Bell, panel chair, "The Justice of Agroecology: Practice and Politics," International Rural Sociological Association meeting, Toronto, Canada, August 12, 2016.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2016 Citation: Alexia Kulwiec, Elena Perez and Sally Lee, "Workers' Rights Throughout the Food Chain". Domestic Fair Trade Association conference, Portland, Oregon, December 10, 2016.