The International Labour Organisation has unveiled new guidelines aimed at advancing decent work within the agri-food industry.
According to the ILO, the guidelines will bolster endeavours to enhance the well-being and economic prospects of over 1.3 billion workers, while also promoting sustainable enterprise growth in the sector.
In a statement, the organisation stated that more than one billion workers will benefit from the guidelines, which are based on the ILO’s instruments and Decent Work Agenda.
“The promotion of decent work in the sector will also help address major global challenges such as rising food insecurity, affecting hundreds of millions of people globally; increasing levels of poverty, which are particularly pronounced in rural areas and especially among the agri-food workforce; and environmental degradation and climate change, caused in part by current food systems, which themselves are affected by such changes.
“Based on relevant International Labour Standards and international agreements, the guidelines cover the four pillars of the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda: rights at work, decent and productive employment, social protection, and social dialogue,” the statement explained.
It added that they would act as guidance for ILO constituents and other relevant stakeholders that design and implement policies to promote decent work in the agri-food sector, as part of efforts to build sustainable and resilient food systems able to feed the world’s growing population.
According to the ILO, this would be done without compromising the economic, social, and environmental foundations for present and future generations.
“The guidelines have been agreed at a meeting of experts in Geneva, bringing together global experts representing governments, employers, and workers’ organisations, as well as FAO, IFAD, and CARE International, to discuss the challenges facing the sector,” it continued.
