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24 Jul 2023

USA: Domestic food production and processing accounts for over 60% of forced labour in food supply, study finds

A study published in July 2023 in Nature Food assesses the risk of forced labour in US land-based food supply, using data on production, trade, labour intensity, and qualitative risk coding.

The study demonstrates that animal-based proteins, processed fruits and vegetables, and discretionary foods are major contributors of forced labour risk. The study also shows that over half of forced labour risk stems from domestic production or processing. The authors argue this suggests the assumption that forced labour risk is limited only to imported food must be questioned, and thus import bans should be combined with stronger national and local regulation, monitoring, and enforcement to mitigate the risk of forced labour and labour exploitation within the United States.

In particular, the study emphasises the need to take a worker-centred approach to addressing the risk of forced labour. It highlights the importance of collaborating with worker communities to grasp a better understanding of what decent work looks like from workers' perspectives.

The study suggests US food supply's reliance on migrant workers catalyses the risk of forced labour and labour exploitation, as these workers are vulnerable to abuse. The authors state that this vulnerability emerges due to several factors, including workers’ undocumented status and the fact immigration programmes bind workers to a single employer.

Our findings underscore the widespread, systemic nature of forced labour risk in food systems. Eliminating forced labour and less severe forms of exploitation will require collaborative, worker-centred approaches, connecting macro quantitative risk assessments with worker communities on the ground to address power imbalances, legal loopholes, and regulatory enforcement challenges and limitations.
Blackstone et al. 2023, "Forced labour risk is pervasive in the US land-based food supply", Nature

The study has a number of informative findings, including:

  • The top three product categories that contributed to forced labour risk were meat, poultry and eggs (28%); other products (a diverse category including discretionary foods such as cocoa and beverages) (23%); and processed fruits and vegetables (18%).
  • Over half of forced labour risk (62%) in the US land-based food supply was attributed to domestic production or processing. Further, when analysing only the first stage in the supply chain (agricultural production), 51% of the forced labour risk was attributed to the United States.
  • The majority of risk in US food supply is in agricultural production (85%) rather than food processing.
  • A small number of products contributed to large shares of forced labour risk.

On 24th July, Forbes reported on the study, highlighting the finding that much forced labour occurs within the United States and is therefore not restricted to the abuse of workers overseas. The article emphasises that language barriers, poverty, and precarious immigration statuses catalyse the risk of forced labour for migrant workers in the United States.

The article links the study to several allegations of forced labour and child labour within the United States during 2023.

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