Responsible working conditions and the search for sustainable agriculture

When we talk about sustainability in agribusiness, it is common to think only of actions that involve good agricultural practices and impacts on the environment. But sustainability in the sector goes much further, including environmental responsibility, of course, but also other fundamental points, such as responsible working conditions.

The United Nations (UN) included the theme within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a global call to action to end poverty, protect the environment and climate, and ensure that people can enjoy peace and prosperity. SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth, establishes “full and productive employment and decent work for all”, and presents several actions ranging from job creation to the protection of labor rights.

Talking about responsible working conditions is essential since in Brazil agriculture is one of the sectors that employ the most. In 2021, the number of people working in activities in the sector reached 19 million in the third quarter, according to data from the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics at the University of São Paulo (Cepea-USP). It is estimated that around 20% of the total number of formal workers are employed in agribusiness. 

With such an important impact on a country's employability and the search for sustainability increasingly present in the sector's decision-making, it is essential that we bring the subject into discussions.

For the Round Table on Responsible Soy Association – International Responsible Soy Association (RTRS), responsible working conditions are a fundamental pillar of sustainable agricultural production as well as environmental ones and in its RTRS Standard for Responsible Soy Production there is an exclusive principle for the theme. To achieve certification, for example, producers undertake to follow a series of requirements related to work on their rural properties, both for workers employed directly and indirectly on their farms, as well as rural partners (sharecroppers) and outsourced workers. The requirements range from the supply of personal protective equipment and appropriate clothing, to training, work safety, control of working hours, decent quality of life on farms, adequate accommodation and houses on rural properties, guidance actions, prohibition of work child and slavery, up to the prohibition of discrimination, among others.

From a social point of view, soy production impacts the standard of living and encourages economic activities at the local level. In this sense, adopting responsible production practices and sustainable value chains in the sector is highly relevant. At RTRS, we share the effort to end deforestation and preserve global biodiversity, but we also encourage supply chain actors to go further; social and agricultural practices and other aspects associated with soy production are equally important topics.