Workers Helping Feed the World but Starved of Dignity

An IPES-Food report warns that workers in the global food system face high exploitation in keeping the world fed. Credit: Busani Bafana/IPSby Busani Bafana (bulawayo)Tuesday, October 06, 2026Inter Press Service BULAWAYO, October 6 (IPS) - A new report reveals widespread labour exploitation among food system workers, warning that keeping the world fed comes at the cost of human dignity. More than 1.4 billion people work in the food industry – the largest employer in the world – and are the most abused, according to a report, Food Work: The workers behind our food and the exploitation they face, published this week by the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food). The global food system exploits more workers than any other economic sector, and the report notes that this exploitation is not accidental but rather ingrained in a business model that keeps labour cheap while maximising profits.Abuse All Round“Often hidden from view, food workers face low pay, wage theft, forced labour, human trafficking, discrimination, sexual violence, dangerous working conditions, and exclusion from social safety nets,” the report found.“From farmworkers, fishers, and slaugh...