The H-2A program allows US farmers who anticipate shortages of seasonal workers to be certified by DOL to recruit and employ H-2A workers to fill seasonal jobs, usually for up to 10 months. Employers certified by DOL submit petitions to DHS for approval, which forwards them to DOS consulates abroad; DHS admits workers with visas.
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Remittances, the monies sent to countries of origin by migrants abroad, reached a record $626 billion to low- and middle-income countries in 2022. Remittances are three times Official Development Assistance (ODA) and exceed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), making them the largest financial flow from richer to poorer countries. Remittances have reached new records every year despite a wide range of challenges, from closed borders during covid to a weakening Euro that reduces the value of remittances sent from Europe in dollar terms.
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Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) involves growing plants under protective structures that shield them from weather and pests. CEA raises yields, reduces water requirements, and facilitates organic production. Many CEA operations are located in urban areas near consumers. Data on CEA workforces are sparse, but US CEA farms may employ a smaller share of the unauthorized Mexican-born workers who dominate in open field agriculture.
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The US had an agricultural trade surplus in most years between 1960 and 2020 because exported farm commodities were worth more than the commodities that were imported. The US farm trade surplus has turned into a deficit in recent years as the US imports more fruits and vegetables, which are more valuable than the corn and soybeans that dominate among US farm exports.
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World wine consumption was 236 million hectoliters in 2021, down from the 260 million hectoliters consumed in 2019. One hectoliter is 26.4 gallons, making global wine consumption about 6.2 billion gallons or 1.1 gallons per year for each of the 5.5 billion people 18 and older.
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California agriculture employs up to 900,000 workers sometime during a typical year to fill 425,000 full-time equivalent jobs, that is, average employment is 425,000, but more than twice this many unique individuals are employed on the state’s farms sometime during the year due to seasonality and worker turnover.
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The IFPP commissioned a study that estimated some 1.1 million US jobs were linked to the US fresh produce industry in 2021. The Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 defines specialty crops as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture. The IFPP included these farm commodities and the industries that distribute them to consumers.
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The FAO reported global production of 178 million tons of aquatic animals and 36 million tons of algae in 2020. Fish and seafood were worth $200 billion in 2020, an average of $1.10 a pound, while algae was worth $0.50 a pound.
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Canada had 39 million people on July 1, 2022, up almost 300,000 from the previous year and up from 35 million in 2012, largely due to immigration. Over half of newly arrived foreigners were non-permanent residents, including asylum applicants and work and study permit holders.
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A record 2.2 million unauthorized foreigners were encountered by Border Patrol agents just inside the US border with Mexico in FY22. Another 172,500 were detected at ports of entry, bringing total encounters to 2.4 million, up 37 percent from 1.7 million encounters in FY21.
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