Agricultural social security institutions that are integrated within communities bring deep expertise and a strong understanding of the sector’s needs. They are well-positioned to tackle the challenges related to the adequate social protection of agricultural workers and to develop innovative and adaptable strategies to meet their needs.

Social security institutions in Finland, France, Germany and Poland highlight how institutions are innovating in their tools and organizational structures to provide tailored benefits and services. In particular, these institutions are developing digitalized services so that the geographical remoteness, rural nature and working patterns of farmers do not hinder access to rights, information, training and services. Given the high exposure to health and safety risks, it is essential to support them in terms of workplace safety and maintain work capacity. In this context, digital technology plays a crucial role in raising awareness and delivering targeted information.

Figure 1. Key approaches to improve the protection of agricultural workers

The main aspects to consider are the following:

These approaches are further developed in the ISSA Guidelines on Service Quality (ISSA, 2019a), which includes recommendations for improving users' experiences accessing social security services, notably through multichannel and one-stop-shop approaches, as well as implementing customer-centric applications. In addition, the ISSA Guidelines on Information and Communication Technologies (ISSA, 2019b) include recommendations for implementing e-services and applying mobile technologies as part of a multi-channel approach.

Experiences in social security institutions

ISSA member institutions in Europe are developing practical tools, services, and approaches based on the general principles outlined above to better address the needs of the sector and the farming profession and deliver quality services.

Experiences of one-stop shops – in-person and digital

Since 2020, France's Central Fund of Social Agricultural Mutual Benefit Societies (Caisse centrale de la mutualité sociale agricole – CCMSA) has provided local, all-in-one services to support users with their administrative tasks, extending beyond just agricultural members. It participates as a sponsor and partner in the “France Services” initiative (Central Fund of Social Agricultural Mutual Benefit Societies, 2024a).

As a one-stop shop and a preferred operator in rural areas, this institution's expertise is effectively employed to deliver a comprehensive response, regardless of the scheme type users belong to. The staff are trained in rights related to retirement, health insurance and family benefits. This approach has been established to be closer to users, manage public expenditure, and optimise available local organizations to offer administrative support. The success of these organizational structures, known as “France Services”, is well established, evidenced by high user satisfaction and numerous visits to the reception centres, which demonstrate the need for local proximity. This is confirmed by the renewal of this scheme for 2023–2025 and the expansion of these structures across the territory to create an effective network. Success factors include a relationship of trust with partners, proven one-stop-shop expertise, and regular communication between the various players. However, it is crucial to define the roles of advisors clearly and to maintain ongoing training to effectively manage the diversity of user requests.

In Poland, the eKrus service is a one-stop-shop web portal run by the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS). It provides general information, as well as access to workers’ personal data, contribution deadlines, and payments, along with online services such as accident reporting (Agricultural Social Insurance Fund, 2024a). Users can perform various operations, including managing their data and paying social security contributions. The goal is to enhance the inclusion of the rural population, who share the same needs as social insurance users in other sectors.

Services are accessible online, eliminating the need to travel to a physical reception point and avoiding work interruptions. The service has been highly successful, with users increasing fourfold since its launch in 2019, from 37,388 to 120,037 by 2022. A communication campaign has been launched to promote this portal and explain its main advantages, services, and benefits. This is essential to support the change in practices so that the service is genuinely used by the profession.

Reducing occupational risks through digital tools and communication

Since 2022, the Farmers' Social Insurance Institution (MELA) in Finland has been offering support for work capacity assessments through a single online service, enabling farm workers to self-assess their work capacity and level of psychosocial stress (Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution, 2024). The tool includes a test designed to evaluate a farmer's fitness for work. It raises awareness of their working environment, the associated risks, and the measures that can be taken to prevent workplace accidents. It is therefore tailored to reflect the reality of the situation as accurately as possible.

Farmers can also access a system for comparing their results with those of their profession, categorised by age, sex, and production sector, with the online service's reference data updated in real-time based on the responses received. The service provides motivational feedback on the respondent's performance and work capacity, along with guidance on how to improve it. It provides personalised recommendations for support services such as workplace safety training or mental health support.

Since its launch in 2022, the service has received positive feedback, with over 2,600 responses collected from Finnish farmers. This initiative upholds the principles of occupational risk prevention, especially within the framework of the ISSA's Vision Zero strategy (ISSA, 2017). One crucial aspect of deploying this online service is the need for a reference database, which must be continually updated to adapt the services provided and the comparisons between different situations. It is also essential to have employment services that already support this population in their work. However, the decision to conduct this test remains personal and specific to each individual.

In Germany, the Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (Sozialversicherung für Landwirtschaft, Forsten und Gartenbau – SVLFG) has initiatives to strengthen the protection of seasonal agricultural workers. Firstly, seasonal workers can benefit from a complementary online service provided through social media platforms to inform them of their rights and obligations, the risks and dangers linked to their activities, and to prevent accidents and occupational illnesses, while using a digital information channel tailored to workers' habits (Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture, 2024a). This experience demonstrates how a specialised institution, a service provider, and prevention experts collaborated to develop the communication strategy and create content, with financial support from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

In addition, a web application (www.agriwork-germany.de) related to health and safety was developed in 2021 for seasonal agricultural workers, available in nine languages (Social Insurance for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture, 2024b). The aim is to facilitate the dissemination of information on occupational safety and health requirements for agricultural jobs, thereby helping to prevent and reduce occupational accidents. Specific topics have been selected to encompass the majority of activities undertaken by this group. These include personal protective equipment, machinery handling, farm transportation, and plant health protection. Phone and email contacts, as well as Frequently Asked Questions, are also available on this web application. A publicity campaign has supported the rollout of this application, making it well-known to seasonal workers, often through their employers. The application's accessibility in terms of timing and location, its translation into multiple languages, the regular updating of its data, and its communication formats (videos, illustrations, etc.) are the key factors behind its success.

In Poland, the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund (KRUS) aimed to strengthen awareness on the prevention of occupational risks by organizing a yearly Youth Short Film Competition about OSH issues Vision Zero 7 Golden Rules (ISSA, 2017; Agricultural Social Insurance Fund, 2024b).

The competition, titled “My Vision Zero,” has been running since 2019. Its goal is to promote safe work practices and raise awareness among young people and their families in rural areas about the occupational risks associated with working on individual farms. The competition addresses various hazards present in agriculture, including working with animals, operating machinery, and handling hazardous chemical substances.

Young creators of the submitted films, aged 13 to 21, have a unique opportunity to learn about the Seven Golden Rules of Vision Zero, which focus on creating a safe working environment on farms. They can showcase their creative inventions and compete for valuable prizes. This initiative aims to raise awareness among school and university students, particularly those studying agriculture. Additionally, it seeks to promote the Vision Zero concept within the agricultural sector. By highlighting the Vision Zero strategy and Seven Golden Rules, the initiative aims at enhancing safety, health, and well-being for young people working in agriculture.

Customer-centric services - placing users' feedback at the centre of development

The increasing trend of digitalization is driving the creation of digital services tailored to users' specific needs, with implementation occurring as swiftly as possible. In this context, the innovative Fabrique Digitale, established by the French Central Fund of Social Agricultural Mutual Benefit Societies, promotes the development of customer-centric digital services by engaging users at crucial stages to ensure services meet their needs (Central Fund of Social Agricultural Mutual Benefit Societies, 2024b).

This approach is also used to achieve continuous service improvement, helping to bridge the gap between recognising a need and creating a service, while enabling agility throughout the design, production, and ongoing enhancement processes. This is supported by usability testing, which runs alongside the design process to ensure it aligns as closely as possible with the user's needs.

Customer-centric methodologies, which emphasize listening to users, are most effective when ground teams are well-trained, leadership supports and promotes their development, and the system remains agile enough to respond and adapt throughout the project lifecycle. It is crucial to make user feedback the foundation for thinking about and designing products or services.

Enhancing institutions' capabilities with shared, reliable, up-to-date knowledge bases

For employees in complex work environments, easy access to reliable and up-to-date information is crucial. To facilitate information sharing and updates among its employees, the French Central Fund of Social Agricultural Mutual Benefit Societies implemented the knowledge management tool "Essential Portals" (Central Fund of Social Agricultural Mutual Benefit Societies, 2024c). The tool provides a well-organized space for delivering useful documentation, which is regularly updated to reflect regulatory changes and user needs. It has become the sole reference point for both front- and back-office services regarding responses to users, and its use is evaluated during audits.

Available across multiple regulatory areas, "Essential Portals" is being expanded into topics where it is not yet available and is becoming more visible through an employee awareness campaign. Its success is attributed to a comprehensive and up-to-date information database, supported by a rigorous internal design and validation process. Thanks to agile governance, continuous document updates, and the use of innovative technologies, the portals have facilitated effective responses to users' information needs and improved the institution’s service performance. For example, one of the most recent updates to the tool is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) feature in the search engine.

In turn, key challenges that remain include the need for comprehensive databases, which demand incremental development processes. There is also a continuous need to adapt to user expectations, evolving regulations, and legislative changes that affect services—while maintaining maximum agility.

Results

Success factors

The main successes achieved by the institutions in Finland, France, Germany and Poland in ensuring protection and relevant services for agricultural workers are due to several factors.

Understanding the main needs and the specific context of agricultural workers constituted a key common factor in the initiatives developed in Finland, France, Germany, and Poland, despite their differences. This led to developing tools tailored to users’ needs and launching communication and awareness campaigns and user training, which were essential for making the tools accessible and visible. Furthermore, the implementation of various systems demanded strong commitments from governmental and social security organizations, both politically and financially.

The innovation and adaptability of services, institutions, and tools is crucial; otherwise, developments and recommended practices, notably for OSH, will not be applied and will not evolve through use. Additionally, tools or services must be continually reviewed, enhanced, and modified to meet the needs of target populations, which requires ongoing support capable of quickly integrating these elements. Furthermore, these experiences underscore the importance of customer-centric and awareness-raising approaches, placing the user at the centre of service design from the initial implementation stages through to completion, and developing learning by creating approaches, especially among young people.

Creating tools to assist frontline staff in institutions is also crucial in enabling a comprehensive multi-channel approach, especially in a context with a wide variety of benefits and services for agricultural workers and their families. The implementation of knowledge management tools can leverage improvements in data management and analysis technologies, as well as AI.

By combining these factors, the institutions can meet the needs of their users and their employees in a dynamic of continuous improvement and customer focus.

Final remarks

The initiatives in Finland, Germany, Poland and France highlight the crucial role that social security institutions play in supporting agricultural workers through collaborative and value-added efforts. These initiatives reflect not only the importance of institutional cooperation but also the need for tailored responses that address the specific characteristics and vulnerabilities of agricultural work. Agricultural workers face unique challenges, including seasonal employment, physical labour in often hazardous conditions, and increased exposure to environmental and climate-related risks. Recognising these realities, social protection systems must adopt flexible frameworks that respond proactively to these evolving needs.

At the heart of effective support strategies lies the principle of user-centred services and design. Social security institutions that place agricultural workers at the core of their development efforts are better positioned to anticipate needs and deploy relevant services. This includes designing tools and services that are accessible, understandable, and responsive to on-the-ground realities. Simultaneously, well-crafted, targeted communication campaigns—delivered through channels familiar to the agricultural community—are necessary to raise awareness and encourage participation.

As technology continues to shape the future of public services, empowering agricultural workers with the tools and knowledge to engage digitally is not only a practical necessity but also a step toward social equity and inclusive development. In this context, digital inclusion also plays a critical role in expanding access to social protection. While online tools offer significant potential, their success depends heavily on the digital literacy and connectivity of the target population. The growing prevalence of smartphones is a positive development, but it must be accompanied by effective initiatives to bridge the digital divide.

Finally, the complexity of the developments discussed in this article necessitates that institutions enhance their capacity to address significant challenges through a diverse range of techniques. The ISSA Guidelines, along with related articles, technical reports, and content from both webinars and in-person events, provide valuable insights and practical experiences on various topics discussed in this article. 

References