Climate Change Heightens Health Hazards for Food Workers, Global Report Finds

Climate change is driving a surge in health and safety risks for food workers worldwide, a new IPES‑Food report finds. Agriculture accounts for one‑third of all occupational deaths globally, and workers now face extreme heat, toxic wildfire smoke and dangerous pesticide exposure. The report, released on October 5, notes that nearly 1.4 billion people are employed in the global food system, yet about 30 % – roughly 416 million – earn below a living wage. Around 90 % of agricultural jobs and 60‑80 % of non‑agricultural food jobs are informal, with informal workers earning only 56 % of the wages of formal employees and lacking health coverage or social security. Farmworkers often lack shade, rest breaks or drinking water, and international labour standards are poorly enforced. Mamadou Goïta, an IPES‑Food expert, called the situation "a workers' rights crisis" during the launch webinar. Raj Patel warned that farmworkers, cooks and delivery riders are among the most exploited globally, while large food corporations keep labour cheap. In India, drought‑driven crop failures have pushed tens of thousands of land‑less farmworkers into high‑interest debt and bonded labour, and farmer suicides rose sharply after droughts in five states. A 2024 West Bengal study of 200 male paddy harvesters showed dehydration rates jump from 16.5 % to 33 % under heat stress. An April 2025 study of 400 fisher households in Kerala found female‑headed families had a higher livelihood vulnerability index (0.40) than male‑headed ones (0.37). Women, migrant and other marginalised workers face the worst protections, often fearing job loss or immigration repercussions if they speak out.

Context

The food sector’s reliance on low‑paid, informal labour makes it especially vulnerable to climate shocks, and weak enforcement of safety rules leaves workers exposed to rising temperatures and chemical hazards.