Worker Safety

Worker safety in the food industry is a pressing concern in an increasingly industrialized global food system. Workers labor in all stages of food production and distribution: growing, harvesting, processing, transportation, marketing, and retail. Worker safety encompasses the minimization of exposure to acute dangers present in a workplace, as well as consideration for immediate and long-term consequences for worker health and vitality. In the initial stages of the food system, from growing to processing, workers encounter increased risks to personal safety. National and international organizations that advocate for worker safety have been established due to concern for the sustainability of the global food system and its dependence on farmworkers and food-processing workers. This entry focuses on the risks to worker safety present in agricultural industries ...