FCS3374 https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-FY1513-2022 The Role of Coalitions in the Health and Well-Being of Farmworkers 1 Ashlyn Michael, LaToya O’Neal, Reagan Anderson, Beatrice Pierre, and Tracy Irani 2 1. This document is FCS3374, one of a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2022. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.uf.edu for the currently supported version of this publication. 2. Ashlyn Michael, student, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences; LaToya O’Neal, PhD, assistant professor, Extension specialist, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences; Reagan Anderson, graduate research assistant, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences; Beatrice Pierre, doctoral student, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences; and Tracy Irani, professor and chair, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or afliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension ofce. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Andra Johnson, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Introduction Farmworker coalitions provide an informal, non-govern- mental path for farmers and farmworkers to assemble and advocate for their rights in a safe and accessible manner. Te purpose of this publication is to educate established entities such as Extension on the importance of farmworker coalitions and their role in the facilitation and development of these coalitions. Coalitions provide a holistic approach to the improvement of working and living conditions for farmworkers, and take into consideration community partners, policymakers, farmers, and farmworkers them- selves. Coalitions play a vital role in ensuring the well-being of farmworkers, but their presence amidst widespread adverse conditions such as the COVID-19 pandemic is especially impactful. Although the pandemic has brought with it unique challenges, coalitions have adapted through- out history to ft the needs of farmworkers within many contexts, including the improvement of health equity and access. For example, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) in south Florida advocated for their own rights as farmworkers within an environment which many would consider unlivable (Rosile, Boje, & Herder, 2020). CIW shifed supply chain practices for large investors through their Fair Food Program. Tis innovative, community- based response involves partnerships among producers, fast food chains, stores, and farmworkers, who work together to secure and maintain sufcient quality of life (Rosile, Boje, & Herder, 2020). Compliance with the Fair Food Program requires that one penny per pound of purchased tomatoes be allocated to farmworkers. Buyers must also follow the Fair Food Program’s code of conduct to uphold the rights of farmworkers (Rosile, Boje, & Herder, 2020). Figure 1. Photo of farmworkers holding boxes flled with colorful, harvested vegetables. Credits: unsplash.com