The Essential Work of Farmers (30 photos)

Despite the many coronavirus lockdowns around the world, people still need to eat, and agricultural work continues—but with many new challenges. Some crops that were ready to harvest are being plowed under or allowed to rot in the fields, because seasonal workers are restricted from traveling, and many buyers have temporarily closed. Unwanted flowers are being used as feed for livestock, and some fishermen are donating their catch to needy families. The farm workers who do have jobs worry about possible exposure to the virus, and have little protection, but many are glad to have a paycheck right now. In places, the demand for organic produce has gone up, and farmers are working to get their crops to smaller markets as well as larger warehouses.

Edson, an organic producer, works on his crops in Ipero, Brazil, on April 1, 2020. Edson and other producers continue to grow organic food in partnership with Armazem Terra Viva. They sell to stores around Sorocaba and Sao Paulo. During the isolation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the demand for healthy foods doubled. ( Rebeca Figueiredo Amorim / Getty)