New Report Links Climate Change to Labor Exploitation in Global Food System

A new report by the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems found that climate change is intensifying health and safety risks for food workers in India and globally. The report states that climate change, corporate concentration, and informal employment are deepening the exploitation of workers who grow, process, transport, sell, and serve food. Heat stress is identified as the most common occupational health threat in agriculture, a sector that accounts for one-third of all occupational deaths globally.

The report notes that 30% of the nearly 1.4 billion people working in the global food system earn below a living wage. Many farmworkers lack basic protection from extreme weather, such as shade, rest breaks, and drinking water. The findings highlight that international labor standards are often ignored, leaving workers exposed to dangerous conditions.

IIED research tracks the impact of extreme heat on Indian workers, findings discussed in a World Bank report and shared with the Guardian.