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GENEVA (ILO News) – The ILO's Vision Zero Fund (VZF)  calls upon governments, employers´ and workers’ organizations, the private sector, and development partners to take action to promote a safe and healthy working environment in the coffee supply chain.

On this year’s International Coffee Day, 1 October 2023, the ILO is launching the #CoffeePeople campaign  to raise awareness about and foster concrete actions to improve safety and health for workers in the coffee supply chain. The campaign is launched in collaboration with the International Coffee Organization and is funded by the European Union.

Risks include agrochemical exposure, physically taxing coffee cultivation techniques, harsh weather conditions, and a lack of access to sanitary facilities and hygienic practices. With the establishment and implementation of adequate occupational safety and health management systems that guarantee workers’ access to information, training, preventive and control measures and health services, these risks can be mitigated, says the ILO’s VZF.

Coffee is a crucial source of income for 125 million people in over 50 countries around the world, offering job opportunities and contributing to the economic growth of many countries.
Over the past five years, the ILO’s Vision Zero Fund has supported nearly six million coffee workers in five countries: Honduras, Mexico, Colombia, Laos, and Vietnam.
On October 1st, at the occasion of International Coffee Day (ICD), ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo said: “Every coffee worker, in every job, has the right to a safe and healthy working environment. I welcome ICO’s decision to focus this year’s ICD theme on the promotion of occupational safety and health. Fundamental principles and rights at work are the enabling conditions for decent work and sustainable economic growth.”

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For more information:

Contact: Maria Munaretto, Vision Zero Fund, International Labour Organization

The Vision Zero Fund is part of the ILO's Safety + Health for All initiative. Supported by Germany, United States of America, France and the European Union, among others, it works to improve safety and health in global supply chains.

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