In this episode, LeAnne Ruzzamenti, Marketing Director from EFI, and Alexia Estrada, Director of Operations at Nursery of Ideas (Semillero de Ideas), discuss an important topic in today’s world: AgroTech (or agricultural technology).
Alexia Estrada believes that keeping farm workers at the center of technological advances is crucial for successful innovation. Farmworkers, through their daily experience, possess a wealth of knowledge that can improve the quality of work, aid growers in meeting key metrics, and increase the integrity of our food supply.
Who can make the improvements better than those who do the work themselves?
During the pandemic, farmworkers were recognized as essential workers, but they have always been essential. They are the ones who put the food on our table, and for that reason, we need to revolutionize the way we see them and the way they feel about the work they do. In this section, Alexia opens up, and shares some of the stories that inspired her to be a farmworker advocate and be part of the Nursery of Ideas project. Listen to the podcast and follow up on Alexia’s stories!
Alexia and EFI agree it is crucial to provide places for farmworkers to feel heard, feel valued, and invited to the conversation. Both packinghouse and field workers are full of knowledge! Alexia proposes that instead of asking if it is possible to replace farmworkers with technology, we need to have a conversation about bringing technology to support farmworkers, create better working conditions, and use technology to their advantage. Creating better jobs will help address the labor shortage in agriculture. Alexia notes that by introducing technology, we can attract younger worker who values being outside, working with their hand, and having an impact on the food system.
In conclusion, this episode is like no other. The conversation around AgroTech and its impact on farmworkers is a crucial one. As Alexia Estrada and LeAnne Ruzzamenti pointed out, farmworkers have knowledge that can be applied to improving the quality of work and increasing the integrity of our food supply. Rather than focusing on replacing farmworkers with technology, the focus should be on using technology to support and enhance the work that they do. EFI and the Nursery of Ideas are great examples of how to empower and improve the lives of farmworkers, and hopefully, we will continue to see more initiatives like this in the future.
