New Survey Reveals That Most Americans Believe That Migrant Farmworkers Should Be Allowed to Remain in the U.S. to Help Grow and Harvest Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, and Other Holiday Foods

WASHINGTON—A new survey by Morning Consult and the nonprofit Physicians Committee finds that 65% of adults support establishing a special program that would allow migrant farmworkers to remain in the U.S. to help with food production. This is especially relevant at this time of harvest and feasting, since many foods commonly served during the holidays, such as sweet potatoes, pecans, pumpkins, and cranberries, require many workers, as well as machinery, to grow and harvest. About half of farmers say they don’t have the labor they need, according to the Kansas Reflector.

The survey finds that a special program to allow migrant farmworkers to stay in the U.S. has substantial support in the Midwest and the Northeast where many farms are located. About 70% of crop farmworkers in the U.S. are foreign-born, and about 41% are not authorized to work in the U.S., according to the Kansas Reflector.

“From a health perspective, when farmers have the workers they need to grow and harvest crops, it helps keep nutritious holiday foods accessible and affordable for families,” says Xavier Toledo, MS, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian on the staff of Physicians Committee. “Families should be able to count on a steady supply of nourishing foods—something that becomes especially important during the holidays.”

The Physicians Committee is a nonprofit health advocacy organization with 17,000 physician members nationwide. The Convert to Crops program administered by the Physicians Committee provides grants to farmers growing fruits, veggies, and other health-promoting foods.

A separate question in the Morning Consult-Physicians Committee survey reveals that 75% of adults find at least one of the listed turkey-free Thanksgiving dishes appealing. These include Sweet Potato Sheherd’s Pie, Autumn Stew, and butternut squash stuffed with wild rice, cranberries, and pecans.

The survey also found that 64% of adults would consider focusing on dishes that are less expensive than turkey, but still traditional and festive. Shoppers who choose plant-based meals can cut food costs by 19%, when compared with a standard American diet, according to research published in JAMA Network Open.

A recent study with 22 pairs of identical twins found that a plant-based diet improves heart health in as little as eight weeks. The twins following a plant-based diet experienced lower LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, and they lost more weight than the omnivore twins. The twin study adds to numerous other published scientific studies showing that a plant-based diet can help you maintain a healthy weight, lower blood pressure, improve heart health, and reduce your risk of diabetes among other benefits.

Journalists who would like a copy of the complete survey report please contact Jeanne McVey, jeannem [at] pcrm.org (jeannem[at]pcrm[dot]org), or 202-607-1687.