Workers Help Feed the World but Starved of Dignity By Busani Bafana Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. - (++)

Workers Help Feed the World but Starved of Dignity By Busani Bafana BULAWAYO, Oct 6 2026 (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). https://www.ipsnews.net/2026/10/workers-helping-feed-the-world-but-starved-of-dignity/?utm_source=email_marketing&utm_admin=146128&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Workers_Help_Feed_the_World_but_Starved_of_Dignity_Climate_Change_Is_Becoming_a_Pregnancy_Hazard_Wor Copyright © 2026 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. - Food Work The workers behind our food and the exploitation they face https://ipes-food.org/report/food-work/ The people who feed us are among the most exploited workers in the world. Nearly 1.4 billion people work in food systems – two out of every five workers worldwide – the world’s largest workforce. Yet food systems also exploit more workers than any other sector – with widespread low pay, wage theft, forced and child labour, informal employment, discrimination, dangerous working conditions, and exclusion from basic labour protections.