Agriculture is one of the most vital contributors to the California economy, accounting for more than $27 billion in crop production in the state. California ranks first in the nation in food production and is responsible for over 50 percent of U.S. fruit, nuts and vegetables. Ironically, the agricultural workers who are directly responsible for producing such an abundance of healthy food, find themselves at serious risk for life-threatening chronic diseases caused by poor nutrition and little or no access to health care or services, while often living and working in unsafe and unsanitary conditions. The vision of The California Endowment's Agricultural Worker Health Initiative is to achieve optimal health for agricultural workers, their families and their communities. Through this special initiative, the foundation seeks to implement a multi-faceted approach that concentrates resources on (1) addressing individual agricultural worker health issues such as chronic health conditions and infectious diseases; (2) strengthening the social, economic and civic infrastructure of agricultural worker communities; and (3) improving systems of delivery of care and services for this population.

Save the Date 2007 Agricultural Worker Health Initiative Conference: Cultivando Cambio Para el Futuro The California Endowment's Agricultural Worker Health Initiative will hold its 2007 conference August 22-24, 2007, in Sacramento. Check this space for registration materials. For more information contact Sarah Newton at the Center for Collaborative Planning at 916.498.6969 or sarah@connectccp.org. Download postcard Cultivando Cambio Para el Futuro Conferencia de 2007 de la Iniciativa de Salud de los Trabajadores Agrícolas 22-24 de Agosto de 2007 en Sacramento.¡Guarden estas fechas y hagan sus planes para participar! ¡Se les mandarán materiales de registro pronto! Para mas información llame a Sarah Newton del Center for Collaborative Planning a 916.498.6969 o sarah@connectccp.org. Vé el postal

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Background & Program Activities - Agricultural Worker Health Initiative

In 2001, The California Endowment announced a five-year, $50-million commitment for the development and implementation of programs and strategies to improve the health and living conditions of California's estimated 1 million agricultural workers and their families. The Endowment has taken an active leadership role to address the needs of this vastly underserved population since 1997. Work to-date includes:

• Direct Services - $10.5 million for 30 community-based, nonprofit organizations across California to strengthen and support health-related services. In the first year alone, more than 118,000 agricultural workers/family members received services, including nearly 29,000 individuals who received primary care services and more than 10,500 individuals who received dental health screenings and treatments.
  
• Health & Housing - $33 million in 1999 to launch the Agricultural Worker Health & Housing Program, which is administered by the California Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC). Under the program, RCAC has awarded grants and loans to support model programs that effectively link health services with the provision of safe, decent and affordable housing in rural communities across California. A key component of this effort is a low interest loan pool used to finance new farm worker housing projects.
  
• Health Education - Partnered with two non-profit radio stations Radio Bilingüe and Radio Campesina to implement Spanish-language health education and information campaigns in agricultural communities. Radio Bilingüe and Radio Campesina have successfully developed radio programming that reaches out to agricultural workers who otherwise would not have access to basic health education and it specifically provides a venue for uninsured individuals to call and speak with health care providers on issues such as oral health, infectious disease, nutrition, domestic violence, and occupational health issues. Further, agricultural workers learn vital information on where they can receive health care services, and are informed about what preventive measures they can take to improve their health.
  
• Research - The Endowment sponsored the nation's first comprehensive, statewide health survey of hired agricultural workers, California Agricultural Worker Health Survey, which revealed that the vast majority of this population is at serious risk for life-threatening chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension. Other findings demonstrated that nearly 70 percent of those surveyed lacked any form of health insurance, 50 percent have multiple health problems and 40 percent of those surveyed had never seen a physician in their entire lives. The results of this research have been captured in the publication, Suffering in Silence.
  
• Binational & Cross-Border Health - Generated strategic alliances and policy commitments with high-level members of the Mexican government, including President Vicente Fox, to develop binational strategies for improving health, housing and work conditions for this transient worker population. This was primarily accomplished through the California Mexico Health Initiative (new window), a collaborative program involving government, academia, private sector and community-based organizations in both California and Mexico, which is administered by the California Policy Research Center, University of California, Office of the President. The Initiative aims to improve the lives of Mexican-origin immigrants by increasing their access to and use of health care resources in California and Mexico with a focus on six health areas: infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis; immunizations; oral and dental health; nutrition; women's health, including breast and cervical cancer; and occupational health and safety.
  
• Advocacy - Provided funding support to statewide organizations dedicated to advocating for the health and human rights of agricultural workers, such as California Rural Legal Assistance and the United Farm Workers Movement. The strategy is to provide short-term relief to the organizations, increase organizational capacity in order to provide the needed leadership in the public policy arena, and to more effectively advocate for health-related policy and action that benefits this population.
  
• Coalition-Building - Developed alliances with key public policy, agri-business, health, government, advocacy and elected leaders in a collaborative effort to improve the health status of agricultural workers. In fall 2000, The Endowment assembled a 23-member, Blue Ribbon Task Force comprised of diverse leaders and key stakeholders from around the state to assist The Endowment in establishing program and public policy priorities. Chaired by former Congressmember Esteban Torres, the Task Force produced a series of recommendations that called for a sustained, long-term and comprehensive approach to achieve greater access to health services, health education and prevention, housing and insurance coverage.