Takeaways from AP story on dangerous heat threats to greenhouse workers

By MELINA WALLING and DORANY PINEDA The Associated Press

This photo shows a greenhouse in Morehead, Ky., formerly operated by AppHarvest, Wednesday, June 5, 2024. AppHarvest employees say they saw colleagues carried out on makeshift stretchers due to heat, and dozens more helped outside on others' shoulders. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Joshua A. Bickel]

MOREHEAD, Ky. (AP) — Many farms, from buzzy vertical farming startups to traditional specialty crop growers, are marketing greenhouses as a way to shelter crops from climate extremes. They promise fresh produce closer to cities that won’t be harmed by drought, flooding or storms. But that promise overlooks the experience of the workers inside, where many experience equally bad or worse conditions than field workers, especially in summer, when heat and humidity indexes soar under glass. Researchers and advocates say that greenhouses can be designed to ensure that workers are kept comfortable, but there are no set standards and little research on the impact on workers.