On January 27, the Ethical Trade Forums participated as speakers in the workshop organized jointly by the SafeHabitus project and EU-OSHA.
SafeHabitus Policy Workshops aim to synthesize the latest and most relevant scientific research and practical insights from a wide variety of stakeholders. This workshop facilitated the discussion and sharing of perspectives among those actors and European policymakers directly involved in issues related to ethical trade market mechanisms and their impact on OSH and decent working conditions in the EU agricultural sector.
The seminar was divided into three parts; an overview of existing mechanisms and how they integrate OSH and decent work considerations into agricultural activities; an expert debate on the merits of each of the systems; and a policy round table to discuss what changes would be necessary to enhance and extend such systems across other farms, agricultural concerns, sectors and geographical regions.
Sergio Barberá (ETFA General Secretary) represented the Ethical Trade Forums and participated in the panel of experts discussing how ethical trade market mechanisms can support compliance with EU legislation on occupational health and safety. To this end, he explained how the ETF initiative promotes spaces for dialogue, understanding, empathy, and collaboration, before auditing, monitoring, and enforcement. During his presentation, he outlined the progress made by the Health and Safety Working Group, emphasizing the importance of promoting a culture of prevention among business leaders in order to inspire through the sharing of best practices.
We are grateful for the invitation to participate in this workshop and look forward to continuing to collaborate in creating opportunities for analysis that will benefit the agricultural sector.