Farm Workers

Question

A researcher is trying to estimate the exposure of farm workers in Canada to pesticides. That is the big question and we have been trying to figure out what data would help to provide some answers. So far she is stymied by the lack of appropriate data even on the number of farm or agricultural workers.

The Census of Canada has the most detail about occupations. The Census of Agriculture has the most information about farm operations . Files provided by the DLI are helpful, particularly 2006 CEAG Farm Data as it has information on the numbers of farms using herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides; but neither census gets to the heart of the question at the level of detail the researchers would like.

She is wondering whether it is possible to find the following from any source, including a custom tabulation (this is one part of a larger research project with funding):

- Number of farm workers (farm operators plus paid workers)
- By province, or even better by region within each province
- By type of farming operation (livestock, field crops, fruits, berries, hay, etc.)

Her further question is why it is easy to find a CANSIM table with information about the greenhouse, nursery and sod industries but so hard to find information about employees in the other types of agricultural operations.

Answer

The Census of Agriculture unfortunately does not collect data on farm workers or the number of farm workers on an agricultural operation. Our agriculture contacts described the closest data they could offer as follows:

"Unfortunately the Census of Agriculture does not collect data about farm workers, or even the number of farm workers on an agricultural operation. Our questionnaire really focuses only on Operations and Operators.

The only data we could offer is the number of weeks of paid work – yearly and seasonal - by region, and by farm types.

The following link to our released data shows the number of weeks by region: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/95-629-x/2007000/4182411-eng.htm#paid

If you are interested in having the data classified by farm types, this would be a custom request. Our custom tabulation start at $300, and vary according to the level of complexity of the request."

The CEAG Farm Data file in the DLI collection also appears to include variables on paid work.

Additional Information

Another agriculture contact sent me some additional information a few minutes ago explaining that it is easier to find information about workers in the greenhouse, nursery and sod industries because these labour data are collected through the Annual Greenhouse, Sod and Nursery Survey which includes the following questions:

"Please include owners and family workers in the following labour questions:

25. How many seasonal workers did your greenhouse employ (less than 8 months) in 2009?
26. How many permanent workers (full-time and part-time) did your greenhouse employ (8 months and more) in 2009?
27. What was your total payroll (including owners' salaries) in 2009?"