Human rights and living wages in the shrimp sector: Why global buyers must act now

There's a hidden ingredient in cheap shrimps: Exploited workers. Despite the shrimp sector's vital contribution to employment, export earnings and the global food supply, those at the base of the chain are frequently denied fundamental rights, safe working conditions and, most importantly, a living wage.

According to the Ethical Trading Initiative's report Shrimp Supply Chains: Making the link between purchasing practices & human rights, human rights risks are present at every level of the shrimp supply chain, from hatcheries and farms to processing facilities and distribution networks. Documented violations include forced labour, informal and precarious employment, low wages, unsafe working conditions and restricted freedom of association.

Informal and insecure employment is widespread throughout the sector. Many workers are paid based on yield or piece rates rather than stable, predictable wages, and often work without formal contracts or access to social security. At the same time, intense downward price pressure from international buyers has significantly squeezed suppliers' margins. As a result, labour costs frequently become the only flexible expense, effectively shifting financial risk and the burden of rights violations onto farmers and workers.

These challenges are closely linked to the commercial decisions made by international buyers, including supermarkets, hospitality chains, food exporters, and distributors. The report identifies several systemic drivers behind poverty wages and labour rights abuses. Shrimp is often purchased at prices below the cost of production, leaving suppliers unable to cover even basic labour expenses, let alone invest in decent working conditions. Unrealistic ordering practices, such as last-minute changes in volume, inaccurate forecasting, and delayed payments, further destabilize suppliers and undermine their ability to offer secure employment.

A human rights centered approach to shrimp sourcing must start with a simple principle: Every worker in the supply chain must earn a living wage. Achieving this requires a fundamental shift in how international buyers do business. Purchasing practices that relentlessly drive down prices must give way to responsible sourcing models that respect workers' rights and livelihoods. Living wages cannot be secured through voluntary pledges alone. They must be established through collective bargaining between trade unions and employers. This makes freedom of association and the right of workers to organize the essential foundation for fair wages and decent working conditions in the sector.

To strengthen worker representation and advance union organization across fish and seafood farming and processing, the IUF has established a dedicated Seafood Workers Division to support organizing and collective bargaining throughout the global seafood industry.