Free workshops on “responsible recruitment and fair labor” for producers in the agricultural sector in Costa Rica and Mexico are beginning. 

As part of the project to promote responsible recruitment and fair labor in the agricultural sector, in partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, free, practical workshops have begun this February to train avocado and berries farms in Mexico, as well as pineapple and banana farms in Costa Rica, on best practices to strengthen responsible recruitment and fair labor processes for these agricultural sectors.

Participants and facilitators of the practical workshop on “responsible recruitment and fair labor” in Jalisco, Mexico with representatives of agribusinesses and associations of avocado and berries producers in the state. 

Three practical and dynamic workshops were facilitated by the Stronger Together and Rainforest Alliance team, two in Costa Rica and one in Mexico, with more than 40 participants representing pineapple and banana farms and agricultural companies in Costa Rica, as well as avocados and berries for Jalisco in Mexico. Also in attendance were representatives of the Cámara de Piñeros Unidos in Costa Rica, the Asociación Nacional de Exportadores de Berries (ANEBERRIES) and the Asociación de Productores Exportadores de Aguacates de Jalisco (APEAJAL) in Mexico as allies of the project. 

During the workshops, the tools and guidelines included in a bespoke toolkit for Responsible Recruitment and Fair Labor in the Agricultural Sector for each country were presented. These practical guidance toolkits, aligned to international best practice, are based on 6 steps of human rights due diligence for companies as developed by Stronger Together and based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. They also contain 13 Annexes including a good practice checklist with clear practical steps to help businesses to embed responsible recruitment and to identify, prevent and mitigate the risks of forced labor and hidden labor exploitation in the agricultural sector, as well as template policies and questionnaires. The workshop and guidance are also aligned to the Rainforest Alliance Agricultural Standard, supporting businesses to meet their ethical labour standards.  

The Mexico and Costa Rica toolkit will be available for download for free from the website soon: www.stronger2gether.org/mx/ 

Following the workshop, participants in Costa Rica reported that:  

“The workshop is very dynamic and detailed, it is practical and to the point, it helps to improve knowledge and differentiate definitions and concepts in this regard, and I really liked the way the facilitators encourage participation.”

Representative of pineapple farms in Costa Rica

“The toolkit and its annexes will help us improve our human resources system.”

Representative of pineapple farms in Costa Rica

“The steps seen allow us to commit ourselves to ensure good labor practices for the well-being of all.”

Representative of banana farms in Costa Rica

Participants and facilitators of the practical workshop on “responsible recruitment and fair labor” in Costa Rica with representatives of pineapple farms and the representative of the United Pineapple Growers Chamber in the country. 

From the Mexico workshop, participants commented:  

“It is an innovative initiative with relevant information, the materials have good structure and are well adapted for both agricultural sectors (avocado and berries).”

Representative of berries in Mexico

They also mentioned that “the programmed activities are well designed and very dynamic, which allows learning”. The participants found the toolkit very practical and a way to guide producers in step-by-step implementation. In the audience there were attendees with a lot of experience in the sector who mentioned that in 10 years of work it is the first time that they have seen such a complete and well-organized material, and that it will be of much support to the agricultural sector.  

These free, practical workshops will continue to be delivered over the coming months in Costa Rica and Jalisco, Mexico, as part of the project to promote good agricultural and labor practices organized by the Rainforest Alliance and Stronger Together. 

Get involved:  

If you are a manager or representative of farms and agricultural businesses in areas such as human resources, social responsibility and certification, sustainability and/or occupational health and safety, you are invited to participate in these free upcoming practical workshops in Costa Rica and Mexico.  

Other agricultural industry stakeholders such as labor intermediaries, contractors, labor and specialized service providers, or Chambers and Associations of avocado and berry producers for Mexico and pineapple and banana producers for Costa Rica are also welcome to attend.  

Find out more and reserve your place at the following e-mail: infolatam@stronger2gether.org.   

More information about the project and Stronger Together’s work in Mexico and Costa Rica: www.stronger2gether.org/mx/ 

Tags: costa rica, pineapples, berries, agricultural sector, Responsible Recruitment, Mexico

Categorised in: Costa Rica, Mexico