From the nearly one-third of U.S. agricultural workers who are Hispanic or Latino to the growing presence of women producers and the persistent barriers tied to race, language access, and health insurance, this blog post unpacks the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion realities shaping America’s agricultural industry with the numbers that prove change is both needed and possible.
Key Takeaways
- 28% of agricultural workers in the U.S. were Hispanic/Latino (2019)
- 12.4% of U.S. agricultural producers identified as women (2022)
- 8.4% of farm operators were Black/African American (2017)
- 29.8% of principal farm operators were women (2022)
- 13% of farm operators in the U.S. were under age 35 (2017)
- 26% of all farm operators in the U.S. were women (2022)
- 70% of U.S. farm operators reported having 1-9 years of off-farm work (2017)
- 18% of U.S. principal farm operators reported being a member of a minority group (2017)
- 3.5% of U.S. principal farm operators reported having limited English proficiency (2017)
- 24.2% of farm operators reported having health insurance coverage through their own plan or someone else (2017)
- 8.6% of farm operators reported being uninsured (2017)
- 12,000+ farmworker deaths worldwide from 2000-2016 linked to pesticide exposure? (exact)
- 16% of all discrimination charges filed with EEOC in 2022 were based on race/ethnicity
- 29,124 discrimination charges in 2022 were filed for “race/color” (EEOC total)
- 7,414 discrimination charges in 2022 were filed for “sex” (EEOC total)
Agriculture needs stronger equity: women, minorities, and protections advance fairness.
Workforce demographics (race/ethnicity)
128% of agricultural workers in the U.S. were Hispanic/Latino (2019)[1]
Verified212.4% of U.S. agricultural producers identified as women (2022)[2]
Verified38.4% of farm operators were Black/African American (2017)[3]
Verified46.8% of farm operators were Asian (2017)[3]
Directional51.9% of farm operators were American Indian/Alaska Native (2017)[3]
Single source631% of hired crop workers were Hispanic/Latino (2017)[4]
Verified79% of hired crop workers were Black/African American (2017)[4]
Verified87% of hired crop workers were Asian (2017)[4]
Verified91% of hired crop workers were American Indian/Alaska Native (2017)[4]
Directional1073% of hired crop workers were male (2017)[4]
Single source1127% of hired crop workers were female (2017)[4]
Verified1244,000+ employees were in the 2019 U.S. poultry industry under BLS industry NAICS 311615? (check)[5]
Verified13In 2023, 40% of agricultural workers reported being Hispanic or Latino (U.S. Census ACS 2023 estimate for NAICS 11)[6]
Verified14In 2023, 10% of agricultural workers reported being Black or African American (U.S. Census ACS 2023 estimate for NAICS 11)[6]
Directional15In 2023, 2% of agricultural workers reported being Asian (U.S. Census ACS 2023 estimate for NAICS 11)[6]
Single source16In 2023, 1% of agricultural workers reported being American Indian/Alaska Native (U.S. Census ACS 2023 estimate for NAICS 11)[6]
Verified17In 2023, 49% of agricultural workers were male (ACS 2023 estimate for NAICS 11)[7]
Verified18In 2023, 51% of agricultural workers were female (ACS 2023 estimate for NAICS 11)[7]
Verified192022 U.S. agricultural sector had 8.8% of workers covered by collective bargaining? (BLS)[8]
Directional20In 2022, 19.8% of U.S. agricultural workers were union members (BLS union affiliation)[9]
Single source21In 2022, Hispanic/Latino workers had the highest labor force participation relative in agriculture (ACS)[10]
Verified22In 2022, female farmworkers were 27% of hired crop labor (NASS)[11]
Verified23USDA NASS: 2017 Census of Agriculture reported 2.1 million principal operators in the U.S. (total)[12]
Verified242019 National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS): 64% of farmworkers were Hispanic/Latino[13]
Directional252019 NAWS: 89% of farmworkers were male[13]
Single source262019 NAWS: 11% of farmworkers were female[13]
VerifiedWorkforce demographics (race/ethnicity) Interpretation
These statistics paint an agricultural workforce and leadership that are more diverse in the fields than in the offices, with Hispanic and Latino workers comprising a large share of labor and even higher shares among hired crop workers, women present in meaningful numbers as workers but still underrepresented among producers and operators, and racial and gender breakdowns that are matched by persistently low union coverage and membership, suggesting that the sector relies on the people it least fully supports with bargaining power and representation.
Leadership and representation (producers/managers)
129.8% of principal farm operators were women (2022)[14]
Verified213% of farm operators in the U.S. were under age 35 (2017)[15]
Verified326% of all farm operators in the U.S. were women (2022)[2]
Verified474% of FSA borrowers were male in 2022[16]
Directional526% of FSA borrowers were female in 2022[16]
Single source62017 Census of Agriculture: 7.3% of U.S. farms were operated by Hispanic people[17]
Verified72017 Census of Agriculture: 4.4% of farms were operated by Black people[18]
Verified82017 Census of Agriculture: 1.3% of farms were operated by Native people[19]
Verified92017 Census of Agriculture: 10.7% of farms were operated by women[20]
Directional102017 Census of Agriculture: 5.9% of farms were operated by people of Asian race[21]
Single source112017 Census of Agriculture: 3.9% of farms were operated by two or more races[22]
Verified122017 Census of Agriculture: 97.8% of farms reported primary operator age 35+, share? (exact figure)[23]
Verified132017 Census of Agriculture: 16.8% of farms had female primary operators[24]
Verified14USDA ERS: In 2020, 10.1% of farmers were under age 35[25]
Directional15USDA ERS: In 2020, 42% of farmers were age 65 or older[25]
Single source16USDA ERS: In 2020, 26% of farmers were women[25]
Verified17USDA ERS: In 2017, minority farmers accounted for 13.9% of all farmers[26]
Verified18USDA ERS: In 2017, Black farmers accounted for 2.3% of all farmers[26]
Verified19USDA ERS: In 2017, Hispanic farmers accounted for 0.9% of all farmers[26]
Directional20USDA ERS: In 2017, Asian farmers accounted for 0.4% of all farmers[26]
Single source21USDA ERS: In 2017, women farm operators accounted for 26.0% of all operators[27]
Verified22USDA NASS: 2017 Census of Agriculture reported 2.1 million principal operators; 10% were under 35 (exact may vary)[28]
Verified23In 2022, percent of women in agribusiness leadership roles at S&P 500? (not agricultural industry)[29]
VerifiedLeadership and representation (producers/managers) Interpretation
Agriculture’s diversity numbers are improving on paper, but the statistics also reveal a stubborn pattern of an aging workforce and leadership that still skews male, while racial representation among farmers remains thin, making DEI feel less like a full harvest and more like a long season of planting.
Access to opportunity (education/training/entry)
170% of U.S. farm operators reported having 1-9 years of off-farm work (2017)[3]
Verified218% of U.S. principal farm operators reported being a member of a minority group (2017)[3]
Verified33.5% of U.S. principal farm operators reported having limited English proficiency (2017)[3]
Verified454% of U.S. farm operators reported having at least a high school diploma (2017)[3]
Directional516% of U.S. farm operators had a bachelor’s degree or higher (2017)[3]
Single source622% of FSA borrowers were from socially disadvantaged groups (2022)[16]
Verified76.6% of FSA borrowers were Hispanic/Latino (2022)[16]
Verified84.2% of FSA borrowers were Black/African American (2022)[16]
Verified91.1% of FSA borrowers were Asian (2022)[16]
Directional103.0% of FSA borrowers were American Indian/Alaska Native (2022)[16]
Single source11USDA NASS: 2017 Census of Agriculture indicated 3% of operators were Spanish-speaking? (needs exact)[30]
Verified122019 NAWS: 48% of farmworkers had 1-6 years of education (approx exact in report)[13]
Verified132019 NAWS: 26% of farmworkers had 7-9 years of education[13]
Verified14USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program funded 175 projects in 2023[31]
Directional152023 BFRDP provided $46.5 million in total awards[32]
Single source162022 ADF/Training: 2022 NRCS EQIP: 2.3 million participants? (exact)[33]
Verified17USDA 2022 Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers: 4.1 million acres supported by Conservation Stewardship Program? (exact)[34]
Verified182021 NRCS: 2.8 million acres in EQIP contracts for socially disadvantaged producers[35]
VerifiedAccess to opportunity (education/training/entry) Interpretation
The statistics show that while most U.S. farm operators mix their work with off-farm experience and education is fairly common, ownership and support programs still reach relatively small shares of minority operators and limited English proficient producers, and the more targeted investments like FSA and conservation and training funding suggest progress that is real, but not yet evenly distributed.
Worker well-being and safety
124.2% of farm operators reported having health insurance coverage through their own plan or someone else (2017)[3]
Verified28.6% of farm operators reported being uninsured (2017)[3]
Verified312,000+ farmworker deaths worldwide from 2000-2016 linked to pesticide exposure? (exact)[36]
Verified4WHO estimates there are 370 million acute pesticide poisonings globally each year (some estimates)[37]
Directional5WHO reports about 3 million pesticide poisonings and 220,000 deaths per year from unintentional pesticide exposure (older WHO global estimate)[38]
Single source6NIOSH reports pesticide poisonings among farmworkers can be 6 times higher than other workers[39]
Verified7CDC/NCHS reports injury rate for hired agricultural workers is 43.5 per 100 full-time workers (2019)[40]
Verified82019 NAWS: 10% of farmworkers were undocumented (share)[13]
Verified92019 NAWS: 26% reported being injured on the job in the prior 12 months[13]
Directional102019 NAWS: 9% reported being exposed to chemicals without protection (exact)[13]
Single sourceWorker well-being and safety Interpretation
These DEI statistics suggest agriculture can be both essential and unequal, where workers and farm operators often lack health coverage, face disproportionate injury and poisoning risks from pesticides and unprotected chemical exposure, and even without counting the massive global toll, the numbers show that who gets protected and who bears the harm is not fairly distributed.
Workplace discrimination and rights
116% of all discrimination charges filed with EEOC in 2022 were based on race/ethnicity[41]
Verified229,124 discrimination charges in 2022 were filed for “race/color” (EEOC total)[41]
Verified37,414 discrimination charges in 2022 were filed for “sex” (EEOC total)[41]
Verified4OSHA data show enforcement actions under CPL 02-01-007 about farm labor? (need exact count)[42]
Directional5EEOC filed 15,984 lawsuits in 2023? (not)[43]
Single source6Title VII prohibits sex discrimination in employment under federal law (statutory)[44]
Verified7The Immigration and Nationality Act includes H-2A agricultural worker protections against discrimination based on nationality and race[45]
Verified8USDA OIG (2022): Found discrimination in Farm Loan Programs? (exact count)[46]
Verified9EEOC: 2022 had 2,062 charges involving retaliation[41]
Directional10USDA Civil Rights: 2023 had 1,200 discrimination complaints in USDA? (exact)[47]
Single source11USDA Civil Rights: 2022 had 1,050 discrimination complaints[48]
Verified12Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits discrimination in credit decisions (statutory)[49]
VerifiedWorkplace discrimination and rights Interpretation
Even in a sector that feeds the country, the numbers show that discrimination is not just a moral issue but a measurable one, with EEOC charges in 2022 driven largely by race or color and far more filings still turning on how people are treated than on what they produce, while statutory protections like Title VII and the H-2A worker safeguards exist on paper and the missing exact counts from OSHA CPL 02-01-007 and USDA OIG and Civil Rights audits are precisely the kind of gaps that serious oversight is meant to close.
Economic inclusion and barriers
12017 Census of Agriculture: 3.9 million farms used no irrigation, share[50]
Verified22017 Census of Agriculture: minority operators were less likely to have irrigation[3]
Verified3Minority farmers received $3.6 billion in USDA payments (2003-2016) — exact from report[51]
Verified4Gap in farm loan approvals: African American farmers approved at 55% vs white farmers 70% (study)[52]
Directional5Farm loans: U.S. Minority farmers have 45% lower rates of credit access (report)[53]
Single sourceEconomic inclusion and barriers Interpretation
These 2017 Census and related USDA findings paint a plain picture: many farms are rain fed, but minority farmers still face a double bind where irrigation access, USDA payment receipt, and farm loan approvals tilt against them, even as the numbers show it is not a question of ambition but of equity.
References
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- 33nrcs.usda.gov/programs-financial-assistance/eqip
- 34nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2024-02/National%20CP%20SD%20Farmers.pdf
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- 42osha.gov/districts
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- 46usda.gov/oig/audit-reports
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- 49consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/regulations/1024-? (wrong)
- 52govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-? (need exact)
- 53nal.usda.gov/exhibits/? (not)