IUF Agricultural Workers’ Group held annual meeting in Rome

On September 16-17, 2025, the IUF Agricultural Workers' Trade Group (AWTG) Board held its annual meeting in Rome to discuss the most pressing issues facing agricultural workers today and strategies to respond to those challenges.

Occupational Health and Safety. Agriculture remains one of the most hazardous industries globally, with hundreds of thousands of fatal and non-fatal accidents every year. In response, the Board asked the Secretariat to provide training and develop materials for affiliates, focused on promoting and advocating for the ratification and implementation of the ILO OSH Conventions, including C 192 to protect workers from biological hazards in the workplace and C 184 on safety and health in agriculture.

Extreme heat. The Board discussed the growing threat of extreme heat, which claims the lives of agricultural workers across both developed and developing countries. Many of them work long hours in direct sunlight with limited access to water, rest and shade. The AWTG Board discussed the upcoming release of the IUF Call to Action on extreme heat, which will serve as a tool for unions to push for protective measures and policy change.

Pesticides. Pesticides remain a major occupational hazard for agricultural workers. Despite the known dangers, global pesticide use continues to rise. The Board reaffirmed the IUF's commitment to working with civil society organizations to ban highly hazardous pesticides. A working group will also prepare a dedicated session on pesticides for the upcoming 8th AWTG World Conference in 2026.

Agricultural Supply Chains. Violations of workers' rights in agriculture remain widespread. The Board emphasized the need for continued pressure on companies to ensure human rights due diligence throughout their agricultural supply chains. To support this work, the IUF will host a webinar on human rights due diligence in global supply chains in November.

Ending Child Labour in Agriculture. Agriculture is the sector with the highest incidence of child labour, exploiting 83.5 million children (61% of all child labour) worldwide. The Board discussed plans for the IUF's participation and contribution in the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, scheduled to take place in Marrakesh, Morocco, in February 2026.

Defending Migrant Workers' Rights. The AWTG Board adopted a resolution (available in English and Spanish) on Defending the Rights of Migrant Agricultural Workers, which reaffirms the IUF's commitment to organizing and protecting migrant workers in the sector.

With the retirement of AWTG President Bev Clarkson from Unite (UK), the Board has confirmed the appointment of Andrea Coinu from FLAI CGIL (Italy) as the new interim AWTG Acting President until the next AWTG Conference. The Board also proposed holding the 8th AWTG World Conference in September/October 2026 in Geneva.