Impacts of Climate Change and Heat Stress on Farmworkers' Health: A Scoping Review

<div><img src="/Portals/31/Images/E-connect/Mar 2202 -05.jpg?ver=2022-02-28-182552-980" alt="" width="100%"></div> <table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0"><tr> <td><b><a href=""></a></b><p><p>Climate change has led to a significant increase in global average temperatures; temperatures on average have increased by about 1.1°C since pre-industrial times. In addition, the intensity, frequency, and duration of heatwaves have been rapidly increasing around the globe. Nineteen out of the 20 warmest years on record have occurred since 2000. Between 1950 and 2017, a majority of the world's regions has been experiencing at least one extra day of heatwave per decade. It is predicted that the trend of rising temperatures and the occurrence of more frequent, longer, and more intense extreme heat events will continue in the future. By the end of the century, 1.2 billion people are expected to be affected by heat stress, which is four times the number of people that are currently affected by extreme heat. Exposure to high temperatures can result in various adverse health impacts. These range from acute health effects to more severe and chronic conditions and in extreme circumstances these impacts can even lead to death. The consequences of global warming are expected to have disproportionate impacts on countries and communities that have contributed the least to the problem and are the least able to adapt to heat stress.</p> <p>Compared to the general public, working populations, including farmworkers, are more susceptible to heat stress. The combined effect of the metabolic heat produced internally from heavy physical activity and the external heat from the surrounding environment contributes to the high risk of heat stress among workers. Workers engaged in strenuous work at temperatures >35°C are likely to experience heat stress. In addition, some occupations require workers to wear protective clothing, which can inhibit sweat evaporation and normal heat dissipation thus exacerbating their risk of heat stress. Furthermore, workers who perform their tasks outdoors are vulnerable to heat stress due to prolonged exposure to solar radiation, while workers in indoor settings can also be exposed to heat exposure from the heat generated from work processes or equipment. Recent publications warn that climate change is expected to intensify the duration and magnitude of occupational heat stress. Projections for the year 2030 estimate the loss of 880,000 work-life-years due to occupational heat stroke mortality in both indoor and outdoor workplaces. The impact of rising heat in the workplace is likely to affect the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those related to poverty, food security, health, decent work, and economic growth and inequality.</p> <p>The agricultural workforce has been recognized as a vulnerable occupational group with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes from rising global temperatures. In fact, occupational heat-related mortality is 35 times higher among agricultural workers compared to workers from other industries. Agricultural workers are often exposed to hot environmental conditions, which exceed international standards. In addition, the literature identified several work-related factors that exacerbate the risk of heat stress among agriculture workers, which include performance of intensive manual labor, piece-rate payment that encourages agricultural laborers to work beyond their physical limits and avoid taking breaks to rest or hydrate and the lack of control over workplace health and safety practices and adequate access to water, shade, or rest breaks . In addition to the harsh working conditions, agricultural workers also face poor living conditions including a lack of access to clean drinking water, adequate housing, and basic social and health care services. Furthermore, the majority of farmworkers live in low socioeconomic conditions, whereby a study found that the levels of extreme poverty are four times higher among agricultural workers as compared to non-agricultural workers.</p> <p>Globally, migrants account for an increasing share of the agricultural workforce, with 16.7 million migrants engaged in the agricultural sector worldwide. The migration of agricultural workers is driven by various social, economic, and environmental factors that are likely to get exacerbated with climate change, leading to a greater flow of migrants especially from low-income countries. Migrant agricultural workers often face unique vulnerabilities that affect their health and wellbeing and increase their risks of heat-related health outcomes. Migrant agricultural workers are subjected to unsafe working conditions and increased workplace harassment. In addition, these workers are not protected by labor regulations and are not represented in labor unions; they often also face language and cultural barriers and lack access to social security.</p> <p>Several interlinkages between climate change, farmworkers' health, and food production have been identified in the literature. Climate change is expected to impact agricultural production, leading to higher levels of poverty and food insecurity among agricultural workers. Furthermore, it is projected that farmworkers will only be able to work for a fraction of the hours they currently work due to rising heat stress. This can lead to a further decline in agricultural production. One estimate projects that the agricultural sector will account for 60% of the global working hours lost due to heat stress by the year 2030 (19). Moreover, heat related health outcomes among agricultural workers will also reduce their productivity. Although agricultural workers play a critical role in food production, studies have shown that they are highly food insecure; they endure precarious working conditions and earn low wages that hinder access to food. In addition, the loss of productivity is expected to exacerbate their food insecurity, especially in small-scale and subsistence agriculture.</p> <p>Heat-related Illnesses (HRI) are the most common health effects experienced by agricultural workers as a result of their prolonged exposure to high temperatures. HRI are a continuum of diseases, ranging from mild symptoms such as heavy sweating, dizziness, fatigue, vomiting, headaches, and muscle cramps to more severe conditions such as life-threatening heat strokes. Occupational heat exposure and dehydration have also been linked to an epidemic of chronic kidney diseases referred to as “chronic disease of unknown etiology (CKDu)” among agricultural communities in several hot regions including Central America and Southeast Asia. In addition, agricultural workers laboring in hot conditions are at an increased risk for workplace injuries due to increased fatigue, reduced alertness, deterioration in psychomotor abilities, and loss of concentration.</p> <p>With the continuous increase in global temperatures and the severity of its impact on the health and safety of the agricultural workforce globally, a scoping review is needed to summarize the existing knowledge regarding the impact of climate change, particularly extreme heat exposure on farmworkers' health and the available prevention strategies to alleviate these impacts on farmworkers. Thus, the aims of this review are to: summarize the available evidence on the effects of climate change on farmworkers' health with a focus on heat-related illnesses, identify the risk factors for heat-related illnesses among farmworkers, and review the preventive measures that are used to minimize heat stress exposure among farmworkers. To the best of our knowledge, no other reviews has been carried out to study the effects of climate change and heat stress on the health and safety of farmworkers. This work also informs policymakers to develop more effective policies and programs to protect vulnerable farming communities from the impacts of climate change.</p> <p>By Moussa El Khayat, Dana A. Halwani, Layal Hneiny, Ibrahim Alameddine, Mustapha A. Haidar and Rima R. Habib, https://www.frontiersin.org</p> </p></td></tr></table> <hr style="color:#999999" />