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As we continue to thank doctors, nurses, grocery store employees, and other essential workers during the pandemic, Eva Longoria wants to make sure one important group doesn’t get ignored: farm workers.
While many fans have been urging Longoria to run for political office, the actress explained recently that it’s not on her agenda right now--but that doesn’t mean she plans on stopping all of her positive work for the community.
“I think it’s a big myth that you have to be a politician to be political,” she explained on a Zoom call this week. ”The most powerful position in government is the citizen. There are so many ways you can get involved to improve your communities. You don’t have to be rich, famous, or a politician to do that.”
The latest way Eva is working to improve communities around America is by shining a light on a topic that doesn’t get as much political attention as it should: Farmland.
In the past year alone, an estimated 580 farmers filed for bankruptcy, and farm debt has grown to more than 425 billion dollars. According to the Tillamook Creamery Association, at least 2000 acres of farmland are being turned into things like malls and parking lots every single day.
“Farmers are the people who plant and pick and process all of our food—they’re literally the people who are putting food on our tables,” Longoria explained. ”The pandemic has deemed them essential, but they’ve always been essential to our food supply in the United States. So showing our appreciation for them and supporting them during this time was really important to me.”
She went on to say that she hopes more companies will take after Tillamook, encouraging consumers to continue consuming their favorite products while giving back to a bigger cause.
Still, Longoria is adamant about farmland being something every one of us should consider every single time we eat.
“When it comes to farm workers, they’re going to work from sun up to sun down, picking and planting food—during a pandemic, often without PPE, clean water, and sometimes living in enclosed quarters,” she said. ”We have to step up and show our appreciation and protect agriculture, because when you think about it, it’s still the backbone of the United States. We have to think about where our food comes from.”
In an effort to make positive changes for farmers and farm workers, Longoria is encouraging all of her fans to use their voice and their influence for good. While the star isn’t thinking of running for office any time soon, she still wants to make sure that everyone who has the ability to, votes.
“The voting booth is the one place we are all equal. It doesn’t matter your socioeconomic status, it doesn’t matter your race, it doesn’t matter your gender, it doesn’t matter your disability—my vote counts the same as yours.”
