Center for Lifecourse Epidemiology and Aging Research (CLEAR): Improving Health, Enhancing Function

Michigan Farmworker Project (MFP)

Recognizing that the social context of the workplace environment contributes to health inequities within and across generations, and the need to amplify and integrate this understanding in the field of occupational and environmental health to prevent, mitigate and take action to achieve worker safety, health and well-being in the farmworker population, Alexis J. Handal and Lisbeth Iglesias-Rios developed the Michigan Farmworker Project (2018-2025).

The Michigan Farmworker Project found that farmworkers (migrant, seasonal, and H-2A)—considered "essential workers" - face challenging working and living conditions that are critical to address during the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to limit COVID-19 risks in this population require an evidence-based, multifactorial approach that involves workers, employees, and stake-holders. In a policy brief, the researchers recommend that enforcement actions be taken to ensure compliance with COVID-19 protection and mitigation guidelines instead of reliance on self-compliance.

Key Personnel

  • Alexis Handal, PhD, MPH, Study Lead

Preliminary Analysis: MFP and COVID-19 Pandemic

The MFP found that farmworkers (migrant, seasonal, and H-2A)—considered "essential workers" - face challenging working and living conditions that are critical to address during the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to limit COVID-19 risks in this population require an evidence-based, multifactorial approach that involves workers, employees, and stake-holders. In a policy brief, the researchers recommend that enforcement actions be taken to ensure compliance with COVID-19 protection and mitigation guidelines instead of reliance on self-compliance.

Reports and Policy Briefs

News

These are the most recent news items for the Michigan Farmworker Project (MFP). View all Center news.

IN THE NEWS: “The invisible workforce behind Michigan’s $125B agriculture industry” on MLive
“They’re a very, very invisible population,” said Alexis Handal, a University of Michigan professor who co-leads the Michigan Farmworker Project alongside researcher Lisbeth Iglesias-Ríos.

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Posted: January 07 2026
IN THE NEWS: “Women farmworkers in Michigan face unique work challenges” on Michigan Radio
“We are finding exploitative conditions that are unique for women farmworkers around issues of sexual harassment, exposures during pregnancy, challenges with obtaining and having access to proper hygiene and sanitation, particularly during menstruation, and also really important aspects of work-life balance and child care issues that women farmworkers in particular face-” — Alexis J. Handal, PhD, MPH (Co-Study Lead, Michigan Farmworker Project).
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Posted: March 10 2025
IN THE NEWS: Center Core Faculty Lisbeth Iglesias-Ríos featured on “Agents of Change in Environmental Justice” podcast (AUDIO 🔊)
Dr. Lisbeth Iglesias-Ríos joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss her recent research on the dehumanizing work conditions for farmworkers in Michigan and what we can do to address these injustices. Iglesias-Ríos, a research investigator at the department of epidemiology in the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health and lead investigator of the Michigan Farmworker Project, also discusses how a lack of health care and other social resources impact the farmworkers, as well as policies that would help to mitigate some of these workplace harms.
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Posted: March 20 2024