South Africa to benefit from R45m US grant to promote human, labour rights in cut-flower supply chains

The US department of labour has announced a $2.5m (about R45m) grant to support an initiative to assess and expand its fair food programme model with a pilot project to promote human and labour rights focused on cut-flower farms in South Africa, Chile and Mexico.

Agricultural supply chains around the world are rife with labour violations, including child and forced labour. The International Labour Organisation estimates 13% of adult forced labour and 70% of all child labour occurs globally among agriculture workers, the department said.

“Administered by the department’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs, the project will promote grassroots worker-driven social responsibility in agricultural supply chains. An initial feasibility study will assess an international expansion of the Fair Food model for promotion of worker voice and worker rights. The project will evaluate the results through a comparative assessment of which factors promote or hinder the expansion of the model in agriculture in the three countries.

“The project aligns with the department’s commitment to improve labour conditions in global supply chains,” it added.

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