Creating jobs for farmers, artisans and workers
Analysis of workforce and participation data reveals a nuanced picture of employment and producer engagement across our global portfolio. While the Customer Social Impact Survey, suggests stability in staffing patterns, demonstrating the resilience of producer organisations, complementary data collected in customer reviews and due diligence visits show emerging signs of contraction. Together, these datasets illustrate both the ongoing stability and the vulnerabilities of producer organisations operating amid ongoing global economic and environmental challenges.
This reduction in employment appears to be influenced by several interrelated factors. Many producer organisations reported lower production volumes due to climatic impacts and delayed harvests, prompting temporary labour reductions during the reporting period. In parallel, efficiency improvements and mechanisation in processing operations have reduced the demand for manual labour in certain value chains, particularly in coffee and cocoa. Additionally, the financial pressure of rising input and transport costs has led some organisations to streamline their workforce to maintain operational viability.
While the overall decline is relatively moderate, it highlights the vulnerability of employment levels to broader market and environmental fluctuations. A slight decrease in female employment may also reflect a disproportionate impact of these workforce adjustments on temporary or seasonal roles, where women are often overrepresented. Monitoring these trends will remain important to ensure that efficiency gains do not come at the expense of equitable employment opportunities within producer organisations.
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