Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers in Digital Inclusion Planning, North Carolina, 2023-2024

Abstract

Digital exclusion is a challenge in rural North Carolina (NC), USA, where agriculture is the leading industry. Agricultural workers such as migrant and seasonal farmworkers (hereafter “farmworkers”) are disproportionately impacted by digital exclusion. As part of an effort to address digital exclusion, funders and state agencies in NC have promoted the development of county and regional plans for digital inclusion. From July 2023 to July 2024, we identified a total of 30 digital inclusion plans that covered 50 of NC’s 100 counties. To assess inclusion of farmworkers, we used a quantitative content analysis approach with two independent coders. No digital inclusion plans included farmworkers in their needs assessments or goals. Just 7% of digital inclusion plans included farmworker organizations in their planning and development, 13% of plans noted agriculture as a topic of interest in their needs assessments, and 40% noted agricultural technologies as a topic of interest. None included short or long-term goals related to agriculture. The general invisibility of farmworkers in plans contrasts with greater attention given to agriculture-related technologies. Additional attention must be given to ensure farmworkers are involved in future digital inclusion efforts.