Migrant workers in agri-food systems and the COVID-19 pandemic
Internal and international migrants contribute to agriculture and rural development in many ways, not only by sending remittances or transferring knowledge to their home countries, but also by working in agri-food systems and in ensuring our food supplies. The COVID-19 pandemic has put in the spotlight the vital role migrants play in agriculture and food systems. Measures affecting the movement of people and resulting labour shortages are having impacts on agricultural value chains, affecting food availability and market prices globally.
At the same time, many agricultural migrants who, during the pandemic, continue to work in essential services linked to the food sector, face poor housing and working conditions and are more likely to be exposed to occupational safety and health hazards and in need of protection. Large shares of migrants work under informal or casual arrangements, which leave them unprotected, vulnerable to exploitation, poverty and food insecurity, and often without access to healthcare, social protection and the measures being put in place by governments.
In early April, FAO published a global policy brief on Migrant workers and the COVID-19 pandemic and it is continuously monitoring policy responses at global and regional level. Amidst this crisis, it is important to look at the measures that are being taken and the lessons learned to improve conditions for migrants working in agri-food systems during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, and give voice to the most vulnerable and high risk groups.
As part of the Organization’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, two events organized by FAO have contributed to raise awareness on migrants and food systems.
On 2 July, FAO co-organized listening sessions on Addressing the Vulnerabilities of Migrant Workers in Agriculture with the UN Network on Migration as part of the Network’s COVID-19 and mobility series. The purpose of the listening sessions was to bring together civil society, trade unions and other stakeholders to listen what was being done on the ground and the gaps that remain to be addressed. More than 100 participants gathered for the sessions. Representatives of migrant associations, agricultural migrants themselves, as well as trade unions from Europe, North America, Africa and the Near East regions intervened and shared their experiences and the many challenges and gaps they face. Many highlighted how those challenges have been exacerbated by the pandemic but are often pre-existent and structural to the agricultural sector. A summary and related documents will be available here.
On 9 July, FAO North America and the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Global Food Security Project organized the webinar COVID-19 Through the Migration Lens. The event brought together FAO, the World Bank, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the US Department of Labour to discuss COVID-19’s impact on migrants and food security. FAO emphasized the need to recognize the essential interlinkages between migration and agri-food systems and the role migrants play in the agricultural sector. It highlighted the challenges the pandemic is creating in terms of food and nutrition security, labour shortages and in particular the vulnerabilities faced by migrants working in this sector. FAO raised awareness on the need to pay attention to both internal and international migrants, as well as to particular disadvantaged categories such as seasonal workers, return migrants, women, youth, children and undocumented migrants. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need to better integrate rural and agricultural dimensions in migration policies and programmes and to put agri-food systems and the millions of people working in this sector at the core of the global agenda. A recording of the webinar is available here: https://www.csis.org/events/online-event-covid-19-through-migration-lens