Marking International Migrants Day 2024: Building Solidarity for Farm Workers and Farmers
On International Migrants Day 2024, the National Farmers Union (NFU) calls for solidarity between farmers, farm workers, and the broader public to create a more just and equitable food system. Migrant farm workers are vital to our farms and communities, but they face exploitation and exclusion under Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) programmes. Addressing these injustices requires solidarity and collective action.
Since 2001, the NFU has called on governments and Canadians to uphold the rights and improve the conditions of migrant farm workers. We advocate for migrant farm workers to be granted permanent residency, acknowledging their essential contributions to Canada’s food system. We support migrant-led movements seeking permanent immigration status for all migrants, including those who are undocumented. These positions reflect our belief that the well-being of farm workers, farmers, and eaters is interconnected.
Farmers are under pressure from rising costs, labour shortages, and market instability, while migrant workers endure unsafe conditions, low pay, and a lack of legal protections. Both farmers and migrant farm workers face systems that prioritize corporate profits over people. Migrant workers are tied to specific employers under the TFW programmes, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and unable to advocate for better conditions. Without permanent residency, they are denied basic rights and protections.
Divisive rhetoric and misinformation have fuelled anti-immigrant sentiment in rural communities, wrongly blaming migrant workers for issues like housing shortages and economic struggles. These false narratives create unnecessary tensions between workers, farmers, and the public, while deflecting from real issues such as underfunded public services and corporate control over food systems.
We must reject these myths and work together. Migrant workers are partners, not competitors, in sustaining Canada’s farms and rural economies. Farmers understand the difficulty of finding skilled labour and have long advocated for migrant workers’ inclusion. Migrant workers contribute to food production, pay taxes, and enrich communities, yet are denied the right to fully participate in Canadian society.
It’s time to take action. We call on all Canadians to support permanent residency for all migrant workers. Granting permanent status would ensure migrant farm workers can advocate for fair treatment without fear. Doing so will strengthen their rights and the stability of Canada’s farms.
This International Migrants Day, let’s stand in solidarity with migrant farm workers. Together, we can create a food system rooted in fairness, dignity, and shared prosperity for all.
