By Julie Potyraj, Community Manager, MPH@GW/HealthInformatics@GW
The impacts of climate change on US agriculture are well-documented. We know temperature changes create extreme weather patterns that influence crop yield and livestock. As a result, the agriculture industry must adapt to maintain the quality, availability, and costs of fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products. But food production isn’t the only concern. Climate change also affects the occupational health of those who help bring the food to our kitchen tables. Agricultural workers are particularly vulnerable and may need policy changes to help protect their health.
A recent blog article from MPH@GW, the online MPH program for George Washington University, details how small changes in climate have already started to trigger outcomes that affect occupational health. The authors identified the following six hazard zones for workers that are directly attributable to changes in climate:
- Heat: Workers exposed to hotter temperatures are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses like stroke and heat exhaustion.
- Extreme weather: Search and rescue missions after natural disasters caused by extreme weather expose workers to dangerous conditions.
- Ozone: Warmer temperatures lead to an increase in ground-level ozone that can be associated with serious respiratory issues like lung damage, pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): Burning coal, oil, gasoline, trash, or other materials releases PAHs that are linked to certain types of cancer.
- Workplace violence: Multiple studies have found a link between heat and crime or aggressive and violent behavior.
- Pathogens and vector-borne diseases: Standing water created by extreme rain or flooding can be a breeding ground for certain pathogens. It also contributes to an increase in vector-borne diseases like West Nile virus, Lyme disease, or Zika virus.
These hazard zones can affect indoor and outdoor workers ranging in industries from manufacturing and packaging to construction and emergency response. But agricultural workers are often consistently exposed to each of these risks. Policy efforts to help protect them could work to reduce carbon emissions, a significant cause of climate change and its subsequent health hazards, and to offer agricultural workers protections from the health hazards that already exist.
For example, the Environmental Protection Agency has established several regulatory initiatives designed to curb greenhouse gases, a significant contributor to climate change. Careful measurement will help policy experts determine which of these programs are most effective and worthy of continued funding and expansion. The private sector can also play a role. The EPA has launched several public-private initiatives to help mitigate climate change.
Lawmakers should also consider strengthening labor and health care protections to safeguard workers from existing hazards. As more agricultural workers experience occupational health risks associated with climate change, Congress may need to consider increasing access to health care for those who become sick. From a labor perspective, lawmakers might also consider limiting exposure to hazards by setting work limits in dangerous environments and requiring agriculture employers to fully disclose environmental hazards so workers are more aware of the risks.
US policy on this issue can also affect agricultural workers around the world. After all, a rise in global temperature can create hazard zones virtually anywhere—exposing workers in any nation to occupational health risks. With the European Union facing political uncertainty and China and India seemingly prioritizing economy over environment, many nations look to the United States for leadership on climate change. Effective policy on carbon reduction, labor practices, and access to health care could serve as a model for other nations to protect their agricultural workers from climate change-induced occupational health risks.