Self-Reported Pesticide Application, Access to Pesticide Labels, and QR Code Use Among Agricultural H-2A Workers, North Carolina, 2024.

Abstract

Background: Despite the composition of the United States' agricultural workforce and the sector's reliance on Spanish-speaking migrant labor, pesticide labels are largely available in English only. Currently, federal regulators are considering strategies to provide pesticide label information access in Spanish via a QR code or through other electronic methods on the pesticide container. Data on access to labels and the use of QR codes among agricultural workers are limited. We provide policy-relevant findings from surveys collected at a large agricultural worker H-2A visa arrival hub.

Methods: In April and May 2024, we verbally administered Spanish-language, in-person surveys in North Carolina (n = 160). We asked questions about pesticide use, access to labels, and QR code use as well as age, gender, and seasons worked in the United States.

Results: Descriptive analyses revealed approximately 60% of workers had not used a QR code. Among participants who had used pesticides and worked for two or more seasons (42%), approximately 30% reported not having access to the label on the container.

Conclusion: The survey findings show QR-code-based pesticide labels will reach a subset of workers, but substantial gaps will remain.