Coffee sector expands actions to promote decent work.

On January 23 and 30, the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé), the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MTE), and Cooxupé held the first two stages of a training event for the cooperative's multiplier technicians on the topic of decent work, in Guaxupé (MG).

According to Silvia Pizzol, Director of Social Responsibility and Sustainability (RSS) at Cecafé, the initiative opens another cycle of training actions aimed at strengthening working conditions in the field, reaffirming the sector's commitment to responsible practices throughout the export chain.

The partnership between the export sector, represented by the Council, and the MTE's Sustainable Work Program aims to combine the practical knowledge of labor inspection with an educational activity that generates impact in the field, due to the close and trusting relationship between rural technical assistance and coffee farming employers.

On the 23rd, presentations given by representatives from the Ministry, Alexandre Scarpelli, director of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, and Luiz Henrique Ramos Lopes, coordinator of the Sustainable Work Program, addressed the Sustainable Work Program itself, legal models for hiring labor, and practical aspects of Regulatory Standard No. 31 (NR-31), which deals with safety and health in rural work.

Last Friday (30), the explanation by the national coordinator of Rural Labor Inspection of the MTE, Jackson Sena Brandão, focused on forms of employment contracting in the countryside, such as casual work, temporary work, contract for the provision of services to third parties and the consortium of rural employers, which allows an organization, through a union or company, to hire workers and indicate some of them per day to work on different properties.

The presentation also highlighted the Rural Work Risk Management Program (PGRTR), mandatory under NR-31, which aims to identify, analyze, and control occupational risks in agricultural activity to prevent accidents and illnesses in the field, improving the safety and well-being of workers.

“More than just a training activity, the meeting promoted open dialogue between technicians, specialists, and representatives from the Ministry of Labor, allowing for discussion of the specificities of the coffee sector and the need to adapt regulations to the realities of the field,” comments Carlos Augusto Rodrigues de Melo, president of Cooxupé.

The director of RSS at Cecafé explains that the series of training sessions conducted by the organization and its partners, focusing on disseminating the content of the Sustainable Work Program, demonstrates the maturity of the Brazilian coffee supply chain in engaging in dialogue, understanding, and improving practices related to decent labor.

"These initiatives also reinforce Brazil's position as an international benchmark in sustainability and adherence to ESG criteria, of socio-environmental governance, especially in a global scenario marked by new regulations," he adds.

In this context, Silvia highlights the relevance of the demands of the main buyer markets, such as the European Union, whose rules require transparency and mitigation of socio-environmental risks throughout the production chains.

Germany — the main destination for Brazilian coffee exports in 2025 — for example, has specific due diligence legislation, which requires companies to pay close attention to working conditions in their supply chains.

During the event on the 23rd, participants received information about these international regulations in a lecture given by the social attaché of the German Embassy in Brasília (DF), Kathrin Schäfers, entitled "Legislation on due diligence and its contribution to decent working conditions".

The representative of the German government also participated throughout the day in a hands-on immersion in the coffee journey, from production to the stage of stuffing containers for export, experiencing firsthand the efficiency and sustainability of local coffee farming.

During the two-day training session, approximately 200 technicians from Cooxupé were trained, who will act as multipliers of knowledge and practical guidelines aimed at promoting decent work in the regions served by the cooperative.