ILO Policy guidelines for the promotion of decent work in the agri-food sector
In May 2023, the International Labour Organization (ILO) held its Meeting of Experts on Decent Work in the Agro-Food Industry: an essential component of sustainable food systems. The Meeting of Experts adopted the Policy guidelines for the promotion of decent work in the agri-food sector, which are the subject of this article.
The ILO, created in 1919, is the first agency of the United Nations and is devoted to labor and the related principles of social justice and human rights. The ILO is a tripartite agency, bringing together representatives of member states, as well as workers and employers. Its mission is to set international labour standards, develop policies and design programs to promote decent work.
The Guidelines provide guidance to ILO parties and other stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of decent work policies in the agri-food sector. The Guidelines set out a framework for action to ensure decent work in the agri-food industry. The Guidelines are structured around five chapters. Chapter 1 deals with the scope of the guidelines and the target audience. Chapter 2 deals with rights at work. Chapter 2 of the Guidelines focused on fundamental principles and rights at work, namely: freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour; the effective abolition of child labour; the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation; and a safe and healthy working environment. All ILO member states are called upon to respect by virtue of their membership the fundamental principles and rights at work even if they have not ratified all fundamental Conventions. Chapter 3 deals with decent and productive employment in the agrifood industry. Chapter 4 deals with social and worker protection, and Chapter 5 with social dialogue and tripartism.
IUF, the global union federation uniting workers throughout the food chain, took part in the negotiations and adoption of the Guidelines. IUF was also a crucial participant in the UNDROP negotiations at the Human Rights Council. The organization brought its expertise on workers’ rights to the table, enabling them to be better taken into account in UNDROP. For IUF, these ILO Guidelines are a step forward for showing the way on how to achieve decent work in the agri-food sector. You can read their press release following the adoption of the Guidelines here.
The Guidelines we are presenting today address themes similar to those of UNDROP, and call for recognition and implementation of the rights it contains. These include, of course, the right to work, to health and safety at work (articles 13 and 14) and to freedom of association (art. 9), but also the right to a decent standard of living and to the means of production (art. 16), the right to training (art. 25), the right to social security (art. 10) and the right to decent housing (art. 24). This proximity demonstrates the relevance for agricultural and food workers of using both UNDROP and the ILO agri-food Guidelines. In this way, these two international texts reinforce each other, as they both converge on the same rights to be respected for a just transition to an ecologically and socially viable agri-food industry.
