Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Agricultural Industry

Hispanic and Latino workers comprise 28 percent of agricultural workers in the United States. Women make up 27 percent of hired crop workers yet hold only 12 percent of producer roles. These patterns show uneven representation between field labor and farm ownership or management.

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 workforce diversity remains significant, but leadership, coverage, and equity gaps persist across races and genders.

01 · Category

Workforce demographics (race/ethnicity)26 stats

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)

6.8% of farm operators were Asian (2017)

1.9% of farm operators were American Indian/Alaska Native (2017)

31% of hired crop workers were Hispanic/Latino (2017)

9% of hired crop workers were Black/African American (2017)

7% of hired crop workers were Asian (2017)

1% of hired crop workers were American Indian/Alaska Native (2017)

73% of hired crop workers were male (2017)

27% of hired crop workers were female (2017)

44,000+ employees were in the 2019 U.S. poultry industry under BLS industry NAICS 311615? (check)

In 2023, 40% of agricultural workers reported being Hispanic or Latino (U.S. Census ACS 2023 estimate for NAICS 11)

In 2023, 10% of agricultural workers reported being Black or African American (U.S. Census ACS 2023 estimate for NAICS 11)

In 2023, 2% of agricultural workers reported being Asian (U.S. Census ACS 2023 estimate for NAICS 11)

In 2023, 1% of agricultural workers reported being American Indian/Alaska Native (U.S. Census ACS 2023 estimate for NAICS 11)

In 2023, 49% of agricultural workers were male (ACS 2023 estimate for NAICS 11)

In 2023, 51% of agricultural workers were female (ACS 2023 estimate for NAICS 11)

2022 U.S. agricultural sector had 8.8% of workers covered by collective bargaining? (BLS)

In 2022, 19.8% of U.S. agricultural workers were union members (BLS union affiliation)

In 2022, Hispanic/Latino workers had the highest labor force participation relative in agriculture (ACS)

In 2022, female farmworkers were 27% of hired crop labor (NASS)

USDA NASS: 2017 Census of Agriculture reported 2.1 million principal operators in the U.S. (total)

2019 National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS): 64% of farmworkers were Hispanic/Latino

2019 NAWS: 89% of farmworkers were male

2019 NAWS: 11% of farmworkers were female

Interpretation

Workforce 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.

02 · Category

Leadership and representation (producers/managers)23 stats

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)

74% of FSA borrowers were male in 2022

26% of FSA borrowers were female in 2022

2017 Census of Agriculture: 7.3% of U.S. farms were operated by Hispanic people

2017 Census of Agriculture: 4.4% of farms were operated by Black people

2017 Census of Agriculture: 1.3% of farms were operated by Native people

2017 Census of Agriculture: 10.7% of farms were operated by women

2017 Census of Agriculture: 5.9% of farms were operated by people of Asian race

2017 Census of Agriculture: 3.9% of farms were operated by two or more races

2017 Census of Agriculture: 97.8% of farms reported primary operator age 35+, share? (exact figure)

2017 Census of Agriculture: 16.8% of farms had female primary operators

USDA ERS: In 2020, 10.1% of farmers were under age 35

USDA ERS: In 2020, 42% of farmers were age 65 or older

USDA ERS: In 2020, 26% of farmers were women

USDA ERS: In 2017, minority farmers accounted for 13.9% of all farmers

USDA ERS: In 2017, Black farmers accounted for 2.3% of all farmers

USDA ERS: In 2017, Hispanic farmers accounted for 0.9% of all farmers

USDA ERS: In 2017, Asian farmers accounted for 0.4% of all farmers

USDA ERS: In 2017, women farm operators accounted for 26.0% of all operators

USDA NASS: 2017 Census of Agriculture reported 2.1 million principal operators; 10% were under 35 (exact may vary)

In 2022, percent of women in agribusiness leadership roles at S&P 500? (not agricultural industry)

Interpretation

Leadership 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.

03 · Category

Access to opportunity (education/training/entry)18 stats

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)

54% of U.S. farm operators reported having at least a high school diploma (2017)

16% of U.S. farm operators had a bachelor’s degree or higher (2017)

22% of FSA borrowers were from socially disadvantaged groups (2022)

6.6% of FSA borrowers were Hispanic/Latino (2022)

4.2% of FSA borrowers were Black/African American (2022)

1.1% of FSA borrowers were Asian (2022)

3.0% of FSA borrowers were American Indian/Alaska Native (2022)

USDA NASS: 2017 Census of Agriculture indicated 3% of operators were Spanish-speaking? (needs exact)

2019 NAWS: 48% of farmworkers had 1-6 years of education (approx exact in report)

2019 NAWS: 26% of farmworkers had 7-9 years of education

USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program funded 175 projects in 2023

2023 BFRDP provided $46.5 million in total awards

2022 ADF/Training: 2022 NRCS EQIP: 2.3 million participants? (exact)

USDA 2022 Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers: 4.1 million acres supported by Conservation Stewardship Program? (exact)

2021 NRCS: 2.8 million acres in EQIP contracts for socially disadvantaged producers

Interpretation

Access 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.

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04 · Category

Worker well-being and safety10 stats

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)

WHO estimates there are 370 million acute pesticide poisonings globally each year (some estimates)

WHO reports about 3 million pesticide poisonings and 220,000 deaths per year from unintentional pesticide exposure (older WHO global estimate)

NIOSH reports pesticide poisonings among farmworkers can be 6 times higher than other workers

CDC/NCHS reports injury rate for hired agricultural workers is 43.5 per 100 full-time workers (2019)

2019 NAWS: 10% of farmworkers were undocumented (share)

2019 NAWS: 26% reported being injured on the job in the prior 12 months

2019 NAWS: 9% reported being exposed to chemicals without protection (exact)

Interpretation

Worker 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.

05 · Category

Workplace discrimination and rights12 stats

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)

OSHA data show enforcement actions under CPL 02-01-007 about farm labor? (need exact count)

EEOC filed 15,984 lawsuits in 2023? (not)

Title VII prohibits sex discrimination in employment under federal law (statutory)

The Immigration and Nationality Act includes H-2A agricultural worker protections against discrimination based on nationality and race

USDA OIG (2022): Found discrimination in Farm Loan Programs? (exact count)

EEOC: 2022 had 2,062 charges involving retaliation

USDA Civil Rights: 2023 had 1,200 discrimination complaints in USDA? (exact)

USDA Civil Rights: 2022 had 1,050 discrimination complaints

Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits discrimination in credit decisions (statutory)

Interpretation

Workplace 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.

06 · Category

Economic inclusion and barriers5 stats

2017 Census of Agriculture: 3.9 million farms used no irrigation, share

2017 Census of Agriculture: minority operators were less likely to have irrigation

Minority farmers received $3.6 billion in USDA payments (2003-2016) — exact from report

Gap in farm loan approvals: African American farmers approved at 55% vs white farmers 70% (study)

Farm loans: U.S. Minority farmers have 45% lower rates of credit access (report)

Interpretation

Economic 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.

report visual · Comparison

Representation in Agricultural Workforce (Selected Groups)

Selected statistics show notable shares of agricultural workers and hired crop workers by race/ethnicity (and gender) across recent USDA/NASS and U.S. Census (ACS) estimates.

Agricultural workers: Female (ACS 2023 estimate)51%

Agricultural workers: Male (ACS 2023 estimate)49%

Agricultural workers: Hispanic/Latino (ACS 2023 estimate)40%

Agricultural workers: Black/African American (ACS 2023 estimate)10%

Agricultural workers: Asian (ACS 2023 estimate)2%

Agricultural workers: American Indian/Alaska Native (ACS 2023 estimate)1%

source-verifieddata.census.gov2023

Reference

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APA

Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Agricultural Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-agricultural-industry-statistics

MLA

Aisha Okonkwo. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Agricultural Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-agricultural-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Agricultural Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-agricultural-industry-statistics.