Clean Crops, Safe Workers: United for Healthy, Sustainable Supply Chains

Mondiaal FNV and FNV are pleased to invite you to the symposium Clean Crops, Safe Workers, where we address one of the most urgent challenges in global agriculture: the impact of pesticides and other agrochemicals on workers, their families, and their communities.

 

When:
Friday, 19 September | 13:30 - 17:00
Followed by networking drinks

 

Where:
The Hague Humanity Hub
Fluwelen Burgwal 58, 2511 CJ Den Haag
(5 minutes walk from The Hague Central Station)

 

Workers, consumers, and communities are increasingly concerned about their health and the impact of agrochemicals on biodiversity. Workers on the frontlines – many of whom are women – face significant risks while using chemicals, often with limited protection, training and medical support. 

 

This interactive afternoon will bring together our trade union partners from across the globe, sharing first-hand experiences from the seed, flower, fruit & vegetable, and palm oil sectors. Leaders from India (Chennaiah Poguri – NAAWU), Ghana (Emelia Ghansah – GAWU), Colombia (Gustavo Aristizabal Ospino – CSPC), Morocco (Lahoucine Boulberj – FNSA), Ethiopia (Tsinu Amdeselassi – Mondiaal FNV), Tanzania (Eutropia Ngido – Mondiaal FNV), and Zimbabwe/Africa region (Ndaizivai Kamoto – GAPWUZ/IUF Africa) will be present.

Highlights of the programme include: 

- Professor Hans Kromhout (Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences of Utrecht University) shares research results on how chemical products affect worker health in production countries and explores strategies for better occupational health and safety. 

- Taco van der Made (organic production manager at Vitalis - a global leader in the organic seed market) highlights working with smallholder seed producers in India and why organic seeds matter.

 

- How can worker participation drive better Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) monitoring and implementation?

-How can regulations – like the Rotterdam Convention – be improved and better enforced to protect workers in production countries?

- What role can certification bodies play in promoting compliance and reducing agrochemical use? 

 

Our goal is clear: to develop concrete actions and commitments to protect workers, reduce dependency on hazardous agrochemicals, and build healthier, more sustainable supply chains. Trade unions are crucial in this transition: they are uniquely positioned to train, inform, and represent workers, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights protected. Their leadership and active involvement are therefore central to this symposium.

We invite you not only to listen, but to actively participate, share your insights, and co-create solutions with peers and stakeholders from across the chain. 

 

Interested to join? Register here.