Nadwa holds a Bachelor of Engineering and Management from McMaster University, and is currently pursuing a Master of Applied Science at the University of Waterloo, in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her interests fall at the interface of interdisciplinary work between engineering and the social sciences. Her current masters project looks at quantifying the microbial health risks faced by migrant workers in Canada’s seasonal agricultural worker program. Nadwa’s professional experience includes working for a utility expanding infrastructure in rural and remote communities, including first nation communities in Canada, in addition to supporting infrastructure projects on volunteer trips abroad. During that time, she learned the importance of adequate infrastructure in supporting community health and growth. She is passionate about using her skills as an engineer to support small and vulnerable communities.

“I spent the last year learning about temporary migration in the Canadian context, diving deep into the labour migration program brining in migrant seasonal workers to participate in Canada’s agriculture industry. Throughout, it was clear the vital role workers play in safeguarding food security and the Canadian economy, while unfortunately also facing increased health risks during their tenure. I was shocked to learn that very little information was collected and reported on the health of this very hidden group of society, given the nature of their temporary status. Current circumstances with the COVID-19 pandemic, have exacerbated the health risks faced by this population bringing them to the forefront of public discourse. Given these unique circumstances, my goal is to use this opportunity to advocate on workers behalf by understanding and identifying the factors contributing to their microbial health risks and ultimately finding ways for mitigation and control of the risks they face.”

Seasonal farmworkers are amongst the many workers that come to Canada under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). Annually, roughly 50,000 workers come to participate in the longstanding Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP), a federally managed labour migration program [1]. Seasonal migrant farmworkers, mainly from Mexico and the Organization of Caribbean States, come to participate in agricultural work opportunities in an attempt to respond to the labour shortage in the Canadian agricultural sector [2].

Seasonal workers fulfill specific on-farm, primary agricultural activities. These activities include care, breeding, and sanitation of animals as well as planting, harvesting, and preparation of crops [3]. This seasonal labour force is a key contributor to addressing Canadian food security and a crucial part of safeguarding the economy. Migrant workers can make positive contributions to a farm’s performance, and productivity, bringing in culturally unique skills. In Canada migrant workers fill a necessary labour gap on an annual basis, making them an experienced, reliable, and consistent workforce [2]. In 2017 27.4% of employees in crop production were foreign workers [4]. The growth of the SAWP has transformed the Agricultural industry in Canada over the last few decades shifting Canada into a net exporter from a net importer of key crops and accounting for about 6.7% of Canada’s total GDP [5],[6].

However, despite the requirement for health screening prior to arrival, research has shown that migrant farmworkers face a range of known specific health threats during their tenure in Canada. These include physical trauma causing musculoskeletal disorders, and microbial exposures causing gastrointestinal illnesses [7]. Previous studies have also shown that migrant farmworkers face increased vulnerability to infectious diseases given the nature of their work and precarious living arrangements [8]. Although reported data describing their health is scant, there is evidence of infectious enteric disease spread causing gastrointestinal illness amongst this population. Data collected from 2006-2010 in a study by the Norfolk General Hospital in Simcoe Ontario from 888 migrant worker visits showed that gastrointestinal illnesses were the second-highest diagnosis at (13%) [9]. The current COVID-19 pandemic has also undoubtedly magnified the health risks tied to the spread of infectious disease in migrant workplace settings. Substandard living arrangements, often in residences exceeding occupational densities, and the lack of essential and permanent amenities such as washing facilities also hinder workers’ ability to effectively adhere to public health measures, continuing to amplify the challenges associated with maintaining Canadian food security when their critical contributions are compromised [10],[4]. Specifically understanding enteric pathogen exposure pathways facing migrant farmworkers in their agricultural work settings and identifying enabling factors through a risk-based approach, is necessary for the protection of migrant worker microbial health. Highlighting the need and providing effective riskbased tools to protect migrant worker health in our broader policy development will safeguard Canadian food security, contribute to the protection of overall public health, and generate strong industry-related contributions in support of the economy.

The recommendations below are based on the use of a risk-assessment approach highlighting key factors contributing to elevated microbial health risks faced by seasonal farmworkers. The primary goal of the recommendations seeks to promote a mutual benefit for both Canadian farms and migrant workers, through the implementation of effective microbial risk mitigation and control strategies.

A hazard assessment approach was used to investigate the pathways and transmission routes of enteric pathogens in the migrant worker setting. The approach synthesizes factors enabling migrant pathogen exposures and emphasizes gaps hindering the control of microbial risk. The following proposal highlights four migrant worker-related factors contributing to an elevated risk of enteric illnesses and provides goals to mitigating specific factor risk.

1. Controlling pre-harvest sources of enteric pathogen contamination Workers can be exposed to elevated levels of pre-harvest sources of microbial contamination, given their job responsibilities. Sources of pre-harvest contamination propagating the risk of exposure include; the handling of manure, the type of irrigation water, irrigation method and crops grown, and the presence of domestic and wild animals on-site [11]. Control of these factors, for microbial risk mitigation, can be achieved by:
   • a. Ensuring agricultural best management practices are followed. Best practices, supported in the literature for control of manure contamination include instituting a 90-120 day rule for harvesting produce after application of manure [12].
   • b. Utilizing micro irrigation methods such as drip and subsurface mechanisms, limiting the amount of water on crop surfaces, and minimizing the risk of microbial contamination [13],[11].
   • c. Considering locations of animal rearing sites relative to waterways, and establishing adequate buffer zones for effective control of pathogen transmission pathways [12].
2. Enforcing infrastructure standards to disable microbial exposure pathways Infrastructure issues contributing to the microbial risk faced by migrant workers can be grouped into exterior and interior issues, concerns tied to hygiene, the temporary nature of their work, and access to clean drinking water. Exposure to risk can be mitigated through:
   • a. Access to full-time housing/amenities yearly, and removal of temporary infrastructures such as temporary portable heaters; inadequate laundry & hand washing facilities; inadequate food refrig eration, heating, and storage [14],[15].
   • b. Explicitly including water systems serving farms with workers within O Reg. 170 under the Safe Drinking Water Act as a designated facility. Alternatively, where systems are deemed small drinking water systems under Reg 319/08, frequent inspections before, during, and after migrant arrival should be stipulated in this unique permanently temporary arrangement [16],[17].
   • c. Instituting hygienic segregation through the utilization of barriers between the sleeping kitchen and bathroom areas in the living space, and introducing designated worker break & meal areas in the worksite [18],[19].
3. Mitigating occupational hazards that lead to potential microbial exposures Occupational hazards associated with increased exposure to microbial health risks faced by migrant workers include; lack of appropriate and complete training and inadequate data collection for analysis and compliance [20]. The following tactics can be used for the reduction of the risk of exposure:
   • a. Instituting standardized training, and introducing specific training such as Water, Hygiene, and Sanitation (WASH) in workers’ preferred language, while ensuring completion through a centralized data management system.
   • b. Using specific coding to identify worker diagnoses in hospitals and WSIB files, for data analytics needed to identify points propagating microbial risk
   • c. Providing the right Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to disable the pathway of exposure [20].
4. Removing barriers to microbial risk mitigation by modifying and strengthening SAWP policies The last factor indirectly contributing to worker microbial health risks, manifests in way of a barrier hindering risk control strategies. Microbial risk mitigation effectiveness can be improved by the removal of barriers and updates to the following program policies:
   • a. Ensuring access to health care by enabling worker mobility through transportation services, and by supporting multilingual and consultation services within the healthcare system [10].
   • b. Eliminating the transfer and loaning of workers from one farm to another, to reduce the risk of microbial cross-contamination.