Agriculture employs one billion people worldwide, especially women in Africa and Asia. That’s more than a third of the world’s labour force. It is one of the largest, and also one of the most hazardous, of all economic sectors. Agricultural workers are more likely to be exposed to various hazards and risks, and to have a lower capacity of coping with the consequences of exposure, than any other sector.
The Fund’s work in agriculture has so far covered 9 countries (Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, Lao PDR, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Uganda, and Viet Nam) and reached over 4 million workers across four agricultural sub-sectors: coffee, cotton, ginger, and lychee. Working with stakeholders at multiple levels, the Fund has piloted low-cost solutions that are easy to implement and maintain – and have had a significant impact on workers’ health and safety, as well as productivity.