Last month, the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute* hosted an online summit to release policy recommendations addressing agricultural trade, temporary worker visas, and labor law compliance. The event brought together stakeholders from government, the private sector, and expert fields in labor, migration, and trade to discuss strategies for advancing food security, competitiveness, and regional leadership.
As agriculture sits at the intersection of critical U.S. policy priorities—trade and migration—the administration’s approach to immigration, labor, and trade policies, along with its stance on reviewing the USMCA, remains key to North American relations.
A recording of the event and the key policy recommendations are publicly available on the Wilson Center website and summarized below.
- Workers in Mexico’s Export Agriculture: From Research to Action Agreements and Recommendations
This report outlines a road map developed by the project’s Task Force through exchanges, collaboration with governments and organizations, and site visits in the U.S. and Mexico. Conducted from March 2023 to January 2025, the work aimed to improve Mexico’s export agriculture sector by promoting ethical recruitment, formal employment, and better living standards for workers.
- H-2A Reform Scenarios
This study proposes three improvements to the H-2A visa program: employer and worker ratings, faster seasonal crew returns, and streamlined recruitment processes. With settled Mexican-born farm workers aging out, younger H-2A workers are stepping in to meet labor demands. About 2.5 million individuals work on U.S. farms annually, 80% of whom are Mexican-born, including 300,000 with H-2A visas. These recommendations aim to improve efficiency and outcomes for both employers and workers.
*AAALP is administered by Stronger Together US. Stronger Together US-Mexico serves on the Agriculture in North America Task Force hosted by the Wilson Center.
