Amnesty International recently released a report criticizing Canada for labour migration policies and farm inspections that enable migrant farm worker exploitation. The report urges the Canadian government to abolish closed-work permits that tie migrant workers to a single employer.
Author
- Erika Borrelli
PhD Candidate in Sociology and Social Justice, University of Windsor
These concerns echo long-standing demands from Canadian researchers and migrant rights advocates . In 2024, a United Nations special rapporteur called Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program a "breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery." Yet, calls for the government to address these flaws have gone unanswered.
While we await much-needed policy reforms, farm certification could fill this gap. Farm certification offers a potential strategy to improve labour standards, uphold rights and amplify migrants' voices.
Essential but unprotected
Though essential for the agriculture industry, migrant farm workers live in Canada on temporary, employer-tied work permits. These permits create fear of employer retaliation , discouraging workers from speaking up. This leaves them vulnerable to unsafe working conditions, abuse, exploitation and harassment , with few opportunities for recourse.
Agricultural workers, whether migrants or citizens, are excluded from employment laws that protect workers in other industries. For example, overtime provisions, collective bargaining rights and sick pay vary by province . This leaves migrant workers - who are restricted to agricultural jobs - with fewer rights to claim. Compounding these challenges are ineffective farm inspections, which are mostly reactive and triggered by worker complaints.
Studies show that fear of job loss and subsequent deportation or being blacklisted from immigration programs discourages migrants from filing complaints. Additionally, deterrents like fines for employers are rarely enforced , leaving violations unchecked.
Farm certification as a creative strategy
Farm certification recognizes farms with fair working conditions and enforces higher standards. This approach encourages retailers to prioritize certified producers, with compliance driven by market and consumer demand.
However, some argue that relying solely on consumer choice - where people "vote with their dollar " by purchasing ethically certified products - is not enough. They're right.
In a recent project , colleagues and I examined the potential for introducing a farm certification scheme in Ontario.
We focused on two U.S.-based strategies, the Equitable Food Initiative and the Fair Food Program , which emphasize collaboration among diverse stakeholders. These models offer insights into how they may be replicated in Canada while avoiding the commodification of migrants.
U.S. farm certification models
The Fair Food Program, initiated by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) , ensures fair wages and improved working conditions in Florida's tomato fields.
Compliance is enforced through contractual agreements between fast-food chains, retailers, growers and the CIW, all of whom commit to higher standards and responsible purchasing practices. Migrant workers played a central role in developing the program's standards and remain involved in compliance and worker education.
The Fair Food Program grew from grassroots campaigns that included hunger strikes and protests against low wages and extremely poor work conditions on farms. Campaigns later targeted major food corporations, arguing that if these companies could drive down farm wages, they could also demand better conditions from growers.
The CIW organized a successful five-year boycott of Taco Bell , which ultimately joined the Fair Food Program, committing to source tomatoes only from growers who met the program's standards. The boycott was successful due to sustained farm worker-student alliances . Other companies have since followed suit.
The Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) is a certification model that integrates social and food safety standards. A selected group of workers at a certified farm, known as the Leadership Team , receive training on EFI's standards and skills, such as communication and conflict resolution.
The team functions as an internal grievance mechanism, allowing all workers to report concerns to designated members. Retailers participating in this initiative require growers to obtain EFI certification, replacing individual retailer audits.
EFI emerged in California following the 2008 E. coli crisis . While industry leaders and retailers prioritized improving food safety standards on farms, migrant rights groups saw an opportunity to address poor working conditions for farm workers. Costco, Oxfam America and the United Farm Workers devised a strategy that ensures all stakeholders - retailers, growers and workers - to have an "equal seat at the table."
Some Canadian growers have become EFI-certified, primarily to meet demands of American retailers importing their produce. However, tariffs and the trade war between the U.S. and Canada could complicate the expansion of EFI in Canada.
Replicating farm certification in Canada
For farm certification to succeed in Canada, cross-movement collaboration is essential. The success of the Fair Food Program was driven by strong alliances between migrant rights and consumer movements. A similar coalition of food justice, migrant rights and consumer groups could pressure Canadian retailers to commit to ethical sourcing practices.
EFI's cross-sector collaboration model offers valuable lessons for Canada. Though it demands concessions, this approach fosters broad support from all stakeholders.
For growers, it may help retain labour, particularly if sector-wide work permits are introduced that allow workers to change employers. As calls for self-reliance and food sovereignty grow in response to Trump's tariffs , building a national food system that upholds workers' rights will require collective efforts.
Farm certification cannot replace essential policy reforms. Migrant workers need more secure legal status and greater labour rights, and non-compliant employers must face sanctions. However, certification can support education, empowerment and participation for workers, serving as an important complement to policy. If shaped and enforced by the workers it aims to protect, farm certification can be a meaningful tool for change.
Erika Borrelli receives funding from the Mariam Assefa Fund and Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University.
