Brazil’s Coffee Industry Rallies for Safer and Healthier Workplaces
Health and safety in Brazil’s coffee fields have long been under scrutiny—but now, a powerful alliance of unions, cooperatives, and small producers is taking action to change that. In a groundbreaking move, rural workers and coffee co-ops from Brazil’s main coffee-growing region have united to build safer, more sustainable workplaces. Their efforts were driven by two major capacity-building initiatives led by the International Labour Organization (ILO) through its Vision Zero Fund, in partnership with Brazil’s Ministry of Labour and Employment, the National Confederation of Rural Salaried Workers (CONTAR), and with co-financing from the European Union.
Between October 28 and 30, 2025, over 80 participants—including representatives from coffee cooperatives, farmers, and rural workers from Santo Antônio do Amparo and neighboring towns in Minas Gerais—joined hands to improve workplace safety and health. This push is part of the Vision Zero Fund’s larger goal: embedding Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) principles into every stage of the coffee supply chain.
Building Safer Workplaces from the Ground Up
The first training, held October 28–29, targeted leaders from five key cooperatives across Minas Gerais, representing nearly 30,000 members. It equipped them with strategies to integrate OSH values into cooperative operations, identify workplace hazards, and design action plans for ongoing safety improvements. The focus wasn’t just on compliance—but on nurturing a long-term culture of prevention.
“When cooperatives become safety ambassadors, they empower thousands of small producers to work more responsibly,” explained Leandro Costa Marinho, a Labour Inspector at the Ministry of Labour. His statement highlighted a crucial point: top-down policy alone doesn’t create change. Real transformation starts when communities embrace safety as part of their everyday mindset.
The second training, held on October 30, shifted the focus to smallholder farmers and rural laborers—the people who face occupational challenges daily. Sessions covered everything from pesticide exposure to safe machinery handling and ergonomics. Participants learned to comply with Brazil’s National Regulatory Standard No. 31 (NR-31), a law detailing mandatory safety measures for agricultural work. The content was kept clear, practical, and relevant, helping workers question long-held habits and recognize the value of conscious, safer choices.
Laíssa Pollyana Carmo, CONTAR’s Project Coordinator, called the program an “investment in lives.” As she put it, “Placing prevention and rights at the core of the coffee sector isn’t just good policy—it’s a moral imperative.” And this is the part most people miss: workplace safety isn’t just about avoiding accidents, it’s about ensuring dignity and fairness in every step of coffee production.
Empowerment Through Knowledge and Tools
Participants came away with a deeper understanding of their labor rights and the risks they face. Many cooperative leaders vowed to roll out their newly developed OSH action plans across their networks and to hold awareness sessions for more local producers.
To support these efforts, the ILO launched two brand-new resources:
- Practical Guide on Safety, Health and Other Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work for Coffee Cooperatives in Brazil – Instructor’s Manual (link)
- Practical Guide on Safety, Health and Other Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work for Coffee Cooperatives in Brazil – Participant’s Manual (link)
These manuals, co-funded by the European Union, provide hands-on guidance to strengthen both OSH and Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRWs) across Brazil’s coffee sector. They serve as concrete tools helping producers translate knowledge into daily action.
Juliana Brandão, National Project Officer at ILO-Brazil, emphasized the tangible impact: “We are transforming knowledge into real change. These trainings give cooperatives and producers the tools they need to create safer workplaces. And this is just the beginning—technical support will continue to make sure progress becomes permanent.”
Towards Fairer and More Sustainable Coffee
As the world’s largest coffee producer and exporter, Brazil employs around 300,000 people directly in this sector. Yet, many of these workers still face informality and high-risk conditions—issues that remain controversial in an industry that prides itself on global excellence. So how can the world’s leading coffee giant ensure that every cup starts with safety and fairness?
By engaging cooperatives, producers, and workers together, the ILO and its partners hope to rewrite the story of coffee production. Their mission: prevent workplace accidents, enforce OSH laws, and defend the rights of every worker—no matter how small their farm or short their contract.
The ILO plans to keep working closely with cooperatives as they put their plans into practice, share lessons learned, and cultivate a culture of safety that benefits both people and communities.
The Vision Zero Fund forms part of Safety & Health for All, the ILO’s flagship initiative dedicated to embedding a universal culture of safe, healthy, and decent work.
But here’s the real question—can initiatives like this really change the future of coffee production, or will economic pressures keep safety on the back burner? What do you think—should global buyers demand stronger safety standards from their suppliers, even if it raises costs?