Committee on World Food Security
Making a difference in food security and nutrition
Decent Work in Agriculture and Food Systems
Agriculture and food systems are a major source of employment in many countries, particularly in developing countries, directly employing over 1.23 billion people worldwide. While rural transformation tends to reduce the number of people engaged in primary production, it can also generate new job opportunities in intermediate and downstream segments of food supply chains.
However, despite their crucial contribution, workers in agriculture and food systems have long been underpaid and undervalued, with limited access to adequate social protection, and are often exposed to occupational hazards, including environmental risks, poverty, and increasing food insecurity. A quarter of the agricultural workforce remains in extreme working poverty.
Addressing these challenges and advancing decent work for all actors in agriculture and food systems is essential for the transition towards more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems.
In line with the 2024–2027 MYPoW, which aims to eliminate hunger and malnutrition and contribute to the progressive realization of the right to adequate food, the Committee held a Plenary discussion in October 2024 on “Promoting Decent Work in Agriculture and Food Systems,” highlighting the key role of decent work from a right to food perspective.
The Committee provided its platform to discuss with relevant stakeholders potential synergies and complementarities between CFS and the International Labour Organization (ILO) policy convergence work.