According to Statistics Canada, in 2021, 8,600 migrant workers employed in Canadian agriculture were from Jamaica. Stephanie Mayell, a PhD student in U of T's Department of Anthropology, is exploring the health experiences and workplace risks they face.
When the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, she observed a stark contradiction in how the government classified migrant agricultural workers as essential while often treating them as disposable.
“The federal government allowed migrant workers deemed critical to the food system to enter Canada, but the policies put in place to protect these workers were inadequate and failed to consider the social determinants of health faced by this population," says Mayell.
The project is one of eight funded by the 2023 Graduate Studentship Awards administered by the Institute for Pandemics (IfP). The Institute's interdisciplinary nature, comprising members from 10 divisions across three campuses, provides fertile ground for such collaborations. The pandemic has presented opportunities for transformation, and now is the perfect time for Graduate Studentship Award members like Mayell to inspire policymakers to improve the health and safety of vulnerable populations.