Center for Midlife Science: Michigan Farmworker Project (MFP)

Michigan Farmworker Project (MFP)

The Michigan Farmworker Project (MFP) is a community-engaged project that aims to provide a deeper understanding of the complex working and living conditions of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the state of Michigan and the relationship with health outcomes in this population. The MFP seeks to identify indicators of labor exploitation in farmworkers and relate this understanding to farmworker’s psychosocial, occupational and environmental risk factors as well as gaps in service provision and recommendations from farmworkers themselves to address their current working and living conditions.

Key Personnel

Alexis Handal, PhD, MPH, Principal Investigator
Lisbeth Iglesias-Rios, PhD, MPH, Co-investigator and Senior Study Coordinator
Marie O’Neill, PhD, Co-investigator
Paul Fleming, PhD, MPH, Co-investigator
Mislael Valentín Cortés, Doctoral Student, Research Assistant
Maria Jhoana Barajas, Doctoral Student, Research Assistant

Preliminary Analysis: MFP and COVID-19 Pandemic

The MFP found that farmworkers (migrant, seasonal, and H-2A)—considered "essential workers" - face challenging working and living conditions that are critical to address during the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to limit COVID-19 risks in this population require an evidence-based, multifactorial approach that involves workers, employees, and stake-holders. In a policy brief, the researchers recommend that enforcement actions be taken to ensure compliance with COVID-19 protection and mitigation guidelines instead of reliance on self-compliance.

Reports and Policy Briefs

Fair Housing Access, Affordability, and Quality for Michigan Farmworkers During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond (Commissioned by the Michgian Department of Civil Rights; PDF)
The Michigan Farmworker Project Policy Brief (PDF)
The Michigan Farmworker Project Policy Brief - Schematic Summary (PDF)
Proyecto de Salud y Bienestar de Trabajadores Agrícolas en Michigan Policy Brief (PDF)
Proyecto de Salud y Bienestar de Trabajadores Agrícolas en Michigan Policy Brief - Resumen Esquemático (PDF)

News

These are the most recent news items for the Michigan Farmworker Project (MFP). View all Center news.

CONGRATULATIONS!: Lisbeth Iglesias-Ríos, PhD, MPH, MA appointed Research Investigator

Lisbeth Iglesias-Ríos, PhD, MPH, MA has been appointed as a Research Investigator in the Center for Midlife Science. Dr. Iglesias-Ríos received her PhD in Epidemiological Science at University of Michigan in 2018, an MPH in Biostatistics from University of New Mexico in 2020, MA in Psychiatry and Medical Psychology from Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona in 2000.

Dr. Iglesias-Rios is the lead investigator of the Michigan Farmworker Project (MFP). Developed in 2019, in collaboration with Dr. Alexis Handal, the goal of this community-based participatory research program is to provide a deeper understanding of the complex working and living conditions of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the state of Michigan. The MFP seeks to examine the occupational and environmental health exposures experienced by farmworkers in Michigan and relate this understanding to broader social and structural determinants such as precarious employment and labor exploitation.

Posted: May 10 2023

IN THE NEWS: “Op-ed: Farmworkers’ vicious cycle of precarious employment, exploitation and climate change” authored by Michigan Farmworker Project Co-Investigator and Postdoctoral Research Fellow Lisbeth Iglesias Ríos, PhD, MPH

“The erosion of human and labor rights particularly affects farmworkers in the U.S., as farmworkers have been excluded from labor protections like minimum wage, workers’ compensation, overtime pay provisions or the right to unionize. These inequalities are product of decades of free-market policies that limit taxes and regulations, privatize public services like healthcare and retirement, obstruct or eliminate labor union rights, erode working conditions and safety standards, promote low-wage work and, in general, move away from social protections and emphasize personal responsibility for the choices (including health) people make. These social and economic conditions are a breeding ground for precarious and exploitative work. ”