A 2023 study suggests that forced labor is both more widespread and more deeply embedded in the U.S. food supply chain than previously understood. Migrant farmworkers and other vulnerable individuals, often burdened by linguistic isolation or precarious immigration status, are at particular risk. They frequently endure withheld wages, long hours without proper breaks, unsafe working conditions, and threats of deportation if they attempt to speak out.
Such exploitation extends across the entire food system—reaching beyond the fields where crops are harvested into meat processing plants, distribution centers, and other corners of the supply chain. While existing labor laws are intended to safeguard workers, the lack of rigorous enforcement, as well as limited oversight and accountability, allows these abusive practices to persist.
The findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive action. Policymakers are urged to introduce stronger protections, businesses and investors are called upon to improve transparency and auditing within their supply chains, and society at large is encouraged to recognize the human cost behind the food on American tables. Such steps are essential if the U.S. is to bring an end to forced labor and ensure that workers’ rights and dignity are truly respected.