BACKGROUND

The Farmworker Health and Safety Institute (FHSI or Institute), was co-founded in 1991 by El Comité de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agrícolas (CATA) and the Farmworker Association of Florida (FWAF) to build capacity within their respective organizations as well as within farmworker communities, by providing technical assistance and leadership development training. The original member organizations included CATA, FWAF, the Farmworker Justice Fund (FJF) and George Washington University. The Institute also became established as a leading organization dedicated to advocacy on behalf of farmworker health and safety, especially as it related to environmental hazards such as pesticides.

During its early years, the Institute went through a transitional period in which to truly accomplish its mission, it was decided that the control of the organization needed to be in the hands of the affected community and their organizations. Due to this decision, the membership also changed to only include the grassroots farmworker organizations - CATA and FWAF, with the Border Agricultural Workers Project (BAWP) becoming a member in 1996. Our farmworker grassroots member organizations share a common philosophy of collective action in improving farmworker health and safety. The Institute has intentionally remained small in order to consolidate its work and offer high quality, interactive trainings to its member groups, as well as other grassroots farmworker organizations. As a result, the Institute is integrally involved in farmworker health and safety education and monitoring along the Eastern Migrant Stream and along the U.S.-Mexico Border.