Labour Rights Violations in Industrial Agriculture
- David Bell
- Oct 1
- 15 min read
Industrial agriculture relies on global supply chains to deliver affordable food. But behind the scenes, workers face exploitation, wage theft, unsafe conditions, and even forced labour. Key issues include:
Wage Theft: In the UK, nearly 44% of seasonal farmworkers reported unpaid wages or mistreatment in 2021-22. Many also pay illegal recruitment fees, leaving them trapped in debt.
Unsafe Conditions: Agriculture remains the UK's most dangerous sector, with fatal injury rates 21 times higher than average. Workers endure extreme weather, verbal abuse, and poor living conditions.
Child Labour: Globally, agriculture accounts for 60% of child labour, affecting 98 million children, many performing hazardous tasks.
Barriers to Advocacy: Legal loopholes, weak enforcement, and immigration policies leave workers vulnerable and discourage reporting abuses.
Efforts to address these issues include stronger labour laws, supply chain transparency, and support for worker-led organisations. Some advocate for cultivated meat production as a safer, more ethical alternative to traditional farming practices. Tackling these problems requires systemic change to protect workers and ensure ethical food production.
Common Labour Rights Violations in Industrial Agriculture
Industrial agriculture in the UK is rife with worker exploitation, ranging from wage theft to unsafe conditions and even child labour. Below, we delve into the key areas where these abuses occur.
Wage Theft and Exploitation
Underpayment is a widespread issue in agricultural work. According to UK government farm inspection reports from 2021 to 2022, nearly 44% of the 845 seasonal workers interviewed reported wage theft, mistreatment, discrimination, and even threats of deportation [3][6].
At EU Plants Ltd in Berkshire, workers like Sapana Pangeni and Sunita Khadka were subjected to unclear pay structures, with some earning as little as £16 for 5–6 hours of work - far below the £10.10 hourly minimum [4].
"We leave our family, we came here to learn something new and earn money, but their behaviour break us really badly." – Sunita Khadka, Migrant Worker [4]
Further compounding the issue, many workers are forced to pay illegal recruitment fees - sometimes as high as £7,500 - to secure jobs in the UK [3][6][7]. Julia Quecaño Casimiro, a 23-year-old seasonal worker from Bolivia, found herself trapped in debt after being promised £500 a week for fruit picking at Haygrove in June 2023. Instead, she received no pay during her first week and less than £150 in her second, while facing £1,500 in flight repayments and £250 weekly accommodation charges [3][6][7].
Reports show that nearly two-thirds of farms inspected in 2021 and 2022 failed to pay workers for all hours worked or imposed excessive deductions [6][7]. On average, migrant seasonal workers harvesting soft fruit in the UK earn just 7.6% of the retail price of the produce they pick [8].
Unsafe Working and Living Conditions
Farming is the most dangerous sector in Britain, with fatal injury rates 21 times higher than the national average and around 10,000 unreported injuries annually [9][11][12][13]. In 2024/25 alone, 23 farm workers died in Great Britain, alongside 5 in Northern Ireland [9].
Physical risks are often paired with exploitative treatment. At Dearnsdale fruit farm in Staffordshire, workers like Angel from South Africa endured constant verbal abuse, being referred to by numbers instead of names. During one of the hottest summers on record, workers were required to pick 100–150 kg of strawberries daily in heat-trapping polytunnels. At least one worker fainted due to the extreme conditions [10].
"Even before we start work the supervisors would be screaming at us... they would treat you like an animal." – Angel, Agricultural Worker from South Africa [10]
Extreme weather only adds to the dangers. For example, during Storm Eunice in 2022, workers at a nursery in Worcestershire were forced to dismantle polytunnels in hazardous conditions, with gusts so strong they lifted workers off the ground [10].
Living conditions often reflect the poor treatment on the job. At Gaskains in Kent, workers paid nearly £85 a week for shared caravan rooms - an amount that could exceed their pay for a standard eight-hour shift [10]. At Tuesley Farm in Surrey, workers avoided toilet breaks to meet unrealistic targets, leaving them physically and emotionally drained [10]. Access to healthcare is also severely limited; one worker reportedly endured hours of pain before resorting to pulling out his own tooth [10].
Child Labour and Exploitation
Globally, agriculture accounts for 60% of child labour, affecting nearly 98 million children. Of these, a significant number are involved in hazardous tasks [14][15]. In 2024, around 138 million children were engaged in child labour, with over one-third (about 54 million) performing dangerous work [15].
Poverty drives much of this issue, with 67.5% of child labour in agriculture involving unpaid family work. Many children start as young as 5 to 7 years old [14]. Traditions and societal norms often encourage early participation in agricultural work, further entrenching the problem [14][16][17]. Weak enforcement of labour laws, a lack of inspectors in remote areas, and the prevalence of informal family labour make it difficult to address these violations [14][16].
Despite some progress, the global effort to eliminate child labour has fallen short of its 2025 target. While over 20 million fewer children were in child labour compared to 2020, systemic issues remain deeply entrenched [15]. These challenges highlight the need for urgent reforms, which will be explored further in discussions on barriers to worker organisation.
Barriers to Worker Organisation and Rights Advocacy
Agricultural workers face numerous systemic challenges that hinder their ability to organise and advocate for their rights. These obstacles create a significant power imbalance, leaving workers vulnerable and employers largely unaccountable. Tackling these issues is crucial to addressing the exploitation embedded in the food system. Let’s take a closer look at the legal frameworks and structural challenges that sustain these injustices.
Legal and Structural Obstacles
Agricultural workers have long been excluded from labour protections afforded to other industries, a practice rooted in racially discriminatory policies from the 1930s [19][20].
In the United States, these exclusionary policies have had a lasting impact. Farmworkers are excluded from the National Labour Relations Act (NLRA) and the Fair Labour Standards Act (FLSA), denying them basic rights like organising, collective bargaining, and striking [18][19][20].
"Shamefully, Big Ag not only continues benefitting from this racist system but fights to keep it year after year." – Kelsey Eberly, Senior Staff Attorney, FarmSTAND [20]
Since 1946, Congress has exempted agricultural workers from collective bargaining protections [20]. Additionally, since 1976, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been barred from enforcing safety regulations on farms with ten or fewer employees. This leaves workers on roughly 96% of animal agriculture operations without any workplace safety oversight [20].
Another major hurdle comes from "right-to-work" laws, which weaken unions by allowing workers to opt out of paying union dues while still benefiting from union-negotiated agreements. These laws, implemented in over half of U.S. states, undermine workplace solidarity and drain unions of the resources needed for effective advocacy. The first such laws, passed in Arkansas and Florida in 1944, were designed to counter farmworker organising efforts [18].
Immigration status further complicates advocacy. Workers with precarious immigration situations often face targeted labour and immigration policies that discourage them from speaking out. For instance, immigrant farmworker organisers have been detained, creating a climate of fear. Temporary foreign agricultural workers, whose legal status depends entirely on their employer, are particularly vulnerable [18][20].
Employers also exploit legal loopholes to sidestep labour protections. They often misclassify industrial tasks - like managing hazardous animal waste or constructing confinement structures - as "agricultural labour" to avoid paying overtime or recognising collective bargaining rights [20].
Accountability Gaps in Labour Contracting
The rise of farm labour contractors (FLCs) has introduced another layer of complexity, shielding primary employers from accountability while concentrating violations among contractors. Although FLCs make up just 14% of agricultural employment, they are responsible for 24% of all agricultural labour violations [1][22]. In states like California and Florida, contractors account for nearly half of reported violations [1][22].
This system allows farms to distance themselves from wrongdoing. When violations occur, farms can claim they are uninvolved, while contractors often lack the resources to address workers' grievances.
Labour standards enforcement is also severely underfunded and understaffed. Only 1.1% of farm employers are investigated annually. This represents a dramatic decline in oversight - from one investigator per 69,000 workers in 1978 to just one per 175,000 workers in 2018 [1][22].
Even when violations are identified, penalties are often too weak to compel change. For many employers, fines are seen as just another cost of doing business. Alarmingly, over 70% of federal labour standards investigations uncover violations [1][22].
The H-2A temporary agricultural programme, which has grown from just over 48,000 positions in 2005 to approximately 385,000 in 2024, further exacerbates workers’ lack of agency. This programme ties workers to a single employer, making them heavily reliant on their employer’s goodwill [21].
"No one in the US would take a contract that your belonging – all of your rights – are tied to one employer. Think about that. Would you want that for your children?" – Mireya Loza, Georgetown University [2]
Fear of retaliation adds another layer of difficulty. Workers, especially those without proper authorisation or holding temporary visas, often refrain from reporting abuses due to the risk of job loss, deportation, or being blacklisted from future employment [1][2][23].
"The immigration status of farmworkers, fear of retaliation and deportation, and even the perception that WHD will not take action or will fail to obtain meaningful remedies can contribute to farmworkers not reporting violations." – Daniel Costa, Director of Immigration Law and Policy Research, Economic Policy Institute [1][22]
These systemic barriers create a troubling reality referred to as "ag exceptionalism", where workers’ rights exist in name only. This leaves a workforce trapped in exploitative conditions, highlighting the urgent need for reform to establish fairness and accountability in the agricultural sector.
Proposed Solutions: Policies and Advocacy for Change
Tackling the systemic exploitation of agricultural workers requires a broad overhaul of existing structures. While deep-rooted obstacles hinder worker organisation, recent reforms show that determined, collective action can bring about meaningful change.
Stronger Labour Laws and Inspections
A solid legal framework is the backbone of worker protection. Effective laws must guarantee fundamental rights and ensure they are enforced. Recent reforms in the United States and the United Kingdom provide examples of how targeted measures can address historical gaps and improve protections.
In June 2024, the US Department of Labor introduced major changes to the H-2A temporary agricultural worker programme. These updates included tighter integrity measures, clearer accountability for employers, and more transparent recruitment processes. Additionally, the Department of Labor expanded its enforcement powers, such as applying debarment orders to successors and refining the single employer test to better assess temporary needs [24].
In the UK, enforcement challenges often stem from underfunding. For instance, in 2021, the Home Office allocated just £7 million to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) - less than what was spent on publications and printing that year [25]. Policy recommendations include revising visa schemes like the Seasonal Worker Visa to allow workers to change employers more easily and extend their visas for longer-term jobs or legal proceedings [28]. Another critical suggestion is creating a "firewall" between labour inspectorates and immigration enforcement. This would ensure workers can report violations without fearing deportation [28].
While stronger legal protections lay the groundwork, the next step is to ensure accountability across supply chains.
Transparency and Accountability in Supply Chains
Transparent supply chains are essential for enforcing labour rights. Legislative advancements and new technologies are playing a vital role in holding supply chains accountable. In April 2024, the European Parliament passed a regulation banning products tied to forced labour from being imported or exported within the EU [26]. This complements the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which requires businesses to identify and prevent human rights abuses throughout their supply chains [26].
The UK is also reassessing its Modern Slavery Act 2015, amid concerns that it lags behind international standards. Lord Alton, Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, highlighted:
"The complexity and range of global supply chains have meant that consumers in the UK may be buying goods made using forced labour. Over recent years we have seen reports of cases involving food, clothing and electronic goods" [27].
Technology is increasingly central to monitoring supply chains. Blockchain platforms like TraceX Technologies enable secure exchanges of verifiable data across agricultural supply chains, creating permanent records that expose labour violations. Platforms like Ulula provide anonymous reporting and grievance mechanisms, while auditing systems such as SMETA have carried out over 250,000 audits in more than 180 countries [30]. Consumer behaviour also drives change, with over 80% of buyers willing to pay more for ethically sourced products [29].
Supporting Worker-Led Organisations
Worker-led organisations play a crucial role in addressing labour rights violations. They amplify workers' voices, help balance workplace power dynamics, and promote accountability [32]. However, their effectiveness depends on supportive policies and robust legal protections.
These organisations have achieved notable victories, showcasing the impact of collective action. For example, legal advocacy groups like Farmworker Justice have pursued strategic litigation. In 2023, they filed the Rojas v. First Pick Farms, LLC case, alleging that H-2A visa workers were trafficked to Michigan and subjected to appalling conditions. The case aims to set legal precedents under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act [31].
State-level initiatives also play a role. In Colorado, the "Farmworker Bill of Rights" (SB 21-87) ensures legal aid attorneys, health workers, and union organisers can meet with farmworkers outside their workplaces. Advocacy groups have successfully defended this initiative [31].
In the UK, the Worker Support Centre reported a rise in complaints from foreign seasonal agricultural workers - from just over 400 in 2023 to nearly 700 in 2024. This increase reflects growing awareness of available support and the ongoing prevalence of labour violations. Migrant worker rights campaigner Julia Quecano Casimiro highlighted the urgency:
"Many seasonal workers continue to have their rights violated at this very moment. What is happening is very serious because we don't have access to any assistance or support. If the UK government does not take action to stop what is happening there will continue to be more victims of modern slavery" [5].
Addressing language barriers and cultural differences is another key aspect of supporting workers. David Imre, Unite Site Convenor at 2 Sisters Sandycroft, stressed the importance of native language support:
"Especially when people are angry, scared or emotional, it's hard for them to communicate in a second language. We need to be able to talk to members in their native language" [25].
He added:
"If there's a problem, we can fix it – but that's only true if there are enough of us to show we have the power. We've proved that it works" [25].
These measures align with The Cultivarian Society's mission to build an ethical food system through advocacy and reform. Achieving this vision requires collective efforts to strengthen laws, ensure transparency in supply chains, and empower worker organisations. Only through comprehensive change can the agricultural sector begin to address the systemic violations that have persisted for far too long.
The Vision of The Cultivarian Society: A Path to Ethical Food Systems
The Cultivarian Society is challenging the failures of industrial agriculture by presenting a bold alternative: cultivated meat. This new approach - producing meat without the need for animal slaughter - aims to address systemic labour abuses while meeting the demands of consumers. By rethinking how meat is produced, the Society offers a way to tackle the deeply ingrained exploitation within traditional agriculture.
Tackling Labour Exploitation with Cultivated Meat
Switching to cultivated meat production could significantly reduce the exploitation and dangers faced by workers in conventional agriculture. The statistics paint a grim picture: between 2015 and 2018, a worker in the meat industry either lost a body part or was hospitalised nearly every other day, and an average of eight workers died annually between 2013 and 2017 [37].
Cultivated meat, produced in controlled lab environments, eliminates many of these risks. Workers are no longer exposed to hazardous chemicals, toxic gases, or the physical dangers of slaughterhouses. Research supports this shift, suggesting that removing animal rearing from meat production can result in safer, healthier working conditions [36].
The potential economic benefits are equally noteworthy. Workers in traditional meat and poultry industries earn an average of less than £12 per hour - 44% below the national average for manufacturing jobs [37]. In contrast, the cultivated meat sector is expected to create higher-paying, skilled roles requiring expertise in fields like engineering, biology, and nutrition. In fact, 58.2% of the jobs in this emerging industry are projected to demand technical skills [36]. Furthermore, 91.9% of experts agree that significant investment in training and development will be crucial to ensuring these roles provide meaningful employment opportunities [36].
By addressing the root causes of exploitation, cultivated meat offers a path to a fairer and safer food production system.
Advocacy Through Education and Policy
Technological advancements alone won't reshape the food industry - advocacy and education are just as critical. The Cultivarian Society combines innovation with public outreach and policy efforts to promote cultivated meat as a viable alternative to conventional agriculture [35].
A major part of their mission involves educating the public about how cultivated meat is made, why it matters, and how it can transform food production without compromising ethics, taste, or sustainability [33]. By connecting consumer choices to improved working conditions, the Society aims to address labour violations at their core.
Policy advocacy is another key focus. The Cultivarian Society works with policymakers and regulatory bodies to create an environment where cultivated meat can thrive. This aligns with the principles of Ethical Food Labour, a concept defined by Sustainability Directory as ensuring "the fair treatment and compensation of workers involved in food production, processing, distribution, and retail, ensuring their rights, safety, and well-being are protected" [34].
The Society understands that achieving truly ethical food systems requires more than small-scale reforms. It calls for a complete reimagining of food production - one that prioritises worker dignity alongside sustainability and animal welfare. Their efforts range from raising public awareness to driving policy changes [33].
Conclusion: Building a Fair and Compassionate Food System
Labour rights violations in industrial agriculture highlight the need for urgent and meaningful change. From wage theft and unsafe conditions to the denial of basic human dignity, these issues are deeply embedded in the current food system. The harsh realities of this industry, including frequent severe injuries, paint a stark picture of the toll it takes on workers [38].
While stronger laws, better inspections, and increased supply chain transparency are important first steps, they only scratch the surface. The root of the problem lies in the industry's dependence on exploitative labour practices and its relentless push to keep meat prices artificially low. This creates a system where worker exploitation is not just tolerated - it is economically incentivised.
"Intensive animal agriculture, which produces nuggets and most of the other meat that Americans consume, keeps the price of meat artificially low by operating at huge economies of scale, and shifting the costs of this production on to people, animals and the planet", explain researchers Jan Dutkiewicz and Gabriel N Rosenberg [38].
To truly address these challenges, we need to look beyond incremental reforms and toward transformative solutions. One promising avenue is cultivated meat, which has the potential to reshape the industry. By replacing dangerous slaughterhouse jobs with technical roles in controlled environments, this innovation directly tackles labour exploitation. Surveys suggest that 87.5% of experts believe cultivated meat will create new jobs globally, with 82.9% of these roles expected to focus on technical fields like natural sciences and engineering [36].
Of course, such a shift won't happen overnight. As traditional roles decline, new opportunities will emerge, but this transition must be carefully managed. Retraining programmes and policies prioritising displaced workers from conventional meat industries will be critical to ensuring a fair and inclusive shift [36].
Collaboration is key to making this vision a reality. Policymakers need to establish regulations that protect workers while fostering innovation. Companies must invest in training for emerging roles. And consumers must recognise the connection between their choices and the working conditions that underpin the food system. Change on this scale requires action on multiple fronts, but it aligns with the broader goal of creating a food system that values fairness and dignity.
Reimagining food production is about more than solving today's problems - it's about creating a system that respects workers and prioritises sustainability. The Cultivarian Society's approach, which combines technological progress with education and advocacy, shows how change can be achieved through coordinated efforts. Their push for cultivated meat as a viable alternative underscores the potential to rethink how we produce food entirely.
A fair food system must protect and compensate workers appropriately, ensuring that technological advancements enhance human dignity rather than erode it. It must account for the real costs of food production, including the welfare of those who make it possible, rather than shifting those costs onto vulnerable communities.
This vision requires a long-term commitment from everyone involved. The labour rights violations in industrial agriculture are not inevitable - they are the result of deliberate choices about how the system is structured. By making better choices, we can create a food system that honours both workers and the planet.
FAQs
What changes are needed to tackle labour rights abuses in industrial agriculture?
Improving labour rights in industrial agriculture calls for meaningful reforms that prioritise the well-being and dignity of workers. This means bolstering legal protections, ensuring fair pay, and creating safer, healthier working environments through effective policies. Extending labour laws to cover agricultural workers, supporting collective bargaining efforts, and enforcing stricter regulations are essential steps in this process.
Beyond these measures, addressing deeper inequalities - such as revisiting land ownership structures and ensuring better access to essential resources - can provide much-needed security for vulnerable workers. By focusing on these changes, we can build a fairer agricultural system that genuinely respects and upholds the rights of its workforce.
How could cultivated meat help reduce labour exploitation in industrial agriculture?
Cultivated meat presents a forward-thinking way to tackle labour exploitation commonly seen in industrial agriculture. Traditional meat production often relies on slaughterhouses and factory farms, where workers face unsafe conditions and low pay - challenges that have long plagued the industry.
By creating real meat without the need for animal slaughter, cultivated meat dramatically reduces the reliance on such labour-intensive and hazardous roles. This shift not only paves the way for safer and fairer working environments but also contributes to building a more equitable food system. At the same time, it addresses ethical and environmental issues tied to conventional farming practices.
How do worker-led organisations help improve labour conditions in industrial agriculture?
Worker-led organisations play a crucial role in tackling labour rights issues within industrial agriculture. They stand up for fair pay, safer workplaces, and legal protections for farmworkers, often stepping in with campaigns and legal support for those dealing with exploitation or unfair treatment.
These groups also push for policy reforms and ensure employers are held responsible for unsafe or unethical practices. By encouraging workers to unite and act collectively, they help drive meaningful changes throughout the industry, creating a fairer and more humane working environment.
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