Climate Volatility and Ag Labor
Tim Hammerich
News Reporter
There is a lot of speculation about how climate change affects the planet, but it’s less discussed how it affects people – specifically, ag labor. Connie Bowen of Farmhand Ventures believes that as temperatures rise, working conditions for outdoor farm workers will become more dangerous and may even lead to increased regulation.
Bowen… “We talk a lot about how climate change is going to reduce crop productivity, or in some cases, increase weed pressures, thus impacting yield. What we don't talk a lot about is the impact of a warming climate. If we exceed 2. 5, particularly three degrees Celsius warming, what economic impact does that have on the ability to do outdoor labor? And unsurprisingly, it has a pretty big effect. So, like, if we do pass that 2.5, 3 degree Celsius marker, which hopefully we don't, but yeah, we might, we stand to have run into a scenario where people physically can't work outside. Like, we already have a very high rate of death among farm workers related to heat-related illnesses. And that is going to increase and/or regulation will increase to decrease that as days where wet bulb temp is too hot to work outside safely increase their frequency.”
Bowen says this is something to watch for in hot growing regions where manual ag labor is needed.
