Industry, government and labour organizations meet to advance the future of decent work in the agrifood sector in Canada

TORONTO, Nov. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading representatives from labour, industry and government in the agrifood sector in Canada met in Toronto on November 5 to discuss the future of decent work in the sector in Canada, building upon the model of social dialogue recommended in the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Decent work guidelines for the agrifood sector.

Hosted in conjunction with the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF), a global union federation of agrifood workers, this event brought together representatives from Canada’s large agrifood employers, the federal government, and the food workers’ union as social partners.

In 2023, the International Labour Organization (ILO) released the Decent work guidelines for the agrifood sector, calling for organizations to host events such as this one to foster social dialogue between employers, government and labour to advance the guidelines. While Europe has held social partner discussions on decent work for many years, this structure is relatively new in Canada; the first of its kind was held in May 2025 by UFCW Canada.

Decent work is defined by the ILO as a summation of the aspirations of people in their working lives, including productive employment with a fair income, security in the workplace, personal development, freedom and equality, and fundamental labour rights, such as the freedom of association.

"This forum is an opportunity to bring together all major stakeholders across the food sector to advance an agenda for safe healthy and sustainable food systems across the country," said UFCW Canada National President Barry Sawyer. “How can a food system be safe and healthy if the workers across the system feel insecure, disadvantaged, or disempowered? A sustainable food system must be just for all. A sustainable system must account for food worker justice from field to table if it is to be truly sustainable."

"We must approach decent work through the fundamental lens of human rights: every human right has equal value. Devaluing one human right devalues them all. The right to collective bargaining and the right to freedom of association are fundamental human right," said Mark Lauritsen, President of the IUF in his opening remarks.  "How do we achieve decent work? By promoting and protecting every human right: let us have these conversations today not from a place of fear, but a place of hope."

The November 5 forum brought together Canadian agrifood stakeholders focused on the promotion of decent work in the sector.

In additional to the international representatives from the IUF and the ILO, Canadian labour voices included the Canadian Labour Congress, the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco and Grain Millers Union (BCTGM), the United Steelworkers (USW, and UFCW local union leaders from across the country.

Representatives from industry included some of Canada’s leading agrifood employers such as Loblaws, Maple Leaf Food, Clearwater Seafood, Food and Beverage Canada, and Highline Mushrooms and more.

Governmental and institutional representatives included Employment and Social Development Canada, Agriculture and Agrifood Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Labour, the B.C. Ministry of Labour, the Future Skills Centre, Food Processing Skills Canada, and more.

Other attendees included representatives from the National Farmers’ Union, Ecojustice, Multicultural Societies of Service Agencies of British Columbia, CARE International, the German Confederation of Trade Unions, and more.

"Decent work is simple. As simple as the ability to get paid an adequate wage or income for the work that you do," says Christine Campeau, Global Policy Director for Food and Nutrition Systems at CARE International and Chairperson of the Social Partners Discussion that led to the Policy Guidelines for the Promotion of Decent Work in the Agri-Food Sector. "The only way that we can solve these problems and ensure decent work for everyone is really all sectors and stakeholders together. We need the employers, the government, the workers, the unions. Everybody at the table sharing their knowledge, their expertise, what they can and can't do, so that we can find a good pathway forward."

It's incredibly important when we're talking about food and beverage manufacturing to make sure that we have a stable and secure food supply chain,” says Kristina Farrell, Chief Executive Officer, Food and Beverage Canada. “We need to make sure that all employers are making sure that we have decent work, that we're following the principles from today, that we're doing whatever we can to retain employees, but also to make sure that we continue to attract new workers to our industry, to make sure that we can continue to secure our food supply chain.”

Dr. Elvis Beytullayev of the ILO led sessions on recent global and regional developments regarding decent work in the agrifood sector. Dr. Raluca Bejan from Dalhousie University presented findings on current research examining the conditions of decent work within Canada’s agrifood sector.

Other sessions focused on supply chain transparency and legislation, responsible business conduct, and human rights due diligence. Participants heard from experts about Canada’s supply chain legislation, Germany’s due diligence legislative framework, and human rights’ due diligence at Systembolaget, Sweden’s government-run alcohol retail organization.

Tripartite panel discussions between government, employer and worker representatives focused on human rights due diligence in the Canadian agrifood supply chains and the challenges facing the industry regarding the principles of decent work.

Panel discussions also included the unique challenges faced by migrant workers in the agrifood sector, and the necessity of a permanent pathway to permanent residency for migrant agrifood workers. In an example of social dialogue, UFCW Canada and the Canadian Meat Council have united in calling for a new immigration pathway for Canada’s food sector workers. Individuals can write to their elected officials demanding permanent residency for food workers by joining UFCW Canada’s action.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/83814f73-0c9a-4556-a267-442a21ffdacd