Kathmandu, October 19:

A recent study conducted by international agencies have found that there are 450 million agricultural workers globally working as labourers in different forms. A study of Food and Agriculture Orgnisation (FAO) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) prepared a report on “Agricultural Workers and Their Contribution to Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development” in October which focuses on 450 million men and women who are employed as waged agricultural workers. They are involved basically in food production system.

These poor people are from rural sector, socially vulnerable, least organised into trade unions, employed under the poorest health conditions, and least likely to have access to effective forms of social security and protection, says the study.

The waged agricultural workers, who account for over 40 per cent of total agricultural work force, remain largely invisible to policy and decision makers in governments, agricultural and rural development agencies, intergovernmental organisations, science and research institutions, agricultural banks and credit institutions including civil society organisations.

According to the study, women and men make up over 40 per cent of the agricultural and involved in the fields, orchards, glasshouses, livestock units and primary processing facilities to produce the world’s food and fibres.

Even though the agricultural workforce as a whole is shrinking as more and more small farmers leave the land, the number of waged agricultural workers is growing in absolute and relative terms in most regions of the world. “The number of waged women workers is also rapidly increasing as they already account on average for 20-30 of the waged workers.”

It has been found that over 173 million children, under 18 years of age, work in many of the poorest paid and often dangerous tasks. Many small farmers are also ‘wage-dependent’, working regularly on farms or plantations to supplement their basic incomes. According to the report, employers of agricultural workers must improve the social, economic and environmental well-being of agricultural workers.

The report produced by ILO and FAO recommends that to ensure that conditions of decent work and fair employment prevail in agricultural industries, and that basic human rights in the sector are respected. It will help to promote sustainable agricultural and rural development by ensuring that waged workers, along with small farmers, can feed and clothe themselves and their families to produce good quality, safe and affordable food for communities and consumers globally.