News • Sustainable Farming Campaign
Slave labour exposed in global food production
New statistics show that 16 million people were in forced labour in the global private economy in 2016. Among cases where the type of work was known, more than 1 in 10 worked in agriculture or fishing.
Alliance 8.7 brings together global public, private, labour and civil society organisations to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, to eradicate modern slavery (which includes forced marriage) and end forced labour. The alliance has published statistics showing the extent of the problem.
In 2016, 40 million people were in modern slavery: 25 million in forced labour and 15 million in forced marriage. More than 70% of the victims were women and girls, and 25% were children.
Breaking down the forced labour data by sector, the report found that 11% of victims worked in agriculture and fishing. Another 15% worked in manufacturing, some of whom will have worked in the food sector. Most victims suffered multiple forms of coercion from employers or recruiters, to prevent them from being able to leave the situation. For example, 70% of adults who were forced to work in agriculture, domestic work or manufacturing were in debt bondage, in which personal debt is used to forcibly obtain labour.
Read Alliance 8.7's report here.
The Sustain alliance campaigns for greener, fairer and healthier food systems for everyone. Find out more about our activities and support us here.
Published Friday 29 September 2017
Sustainable Farming Campaign: Sustain encourages integration of sustainable food and farming into local, regional and national government policies.
