Poverty and hunger cannot be eradicated without addressing the inadequacy of employment conditions and opportunities faced by 75 percent of the world’s poor who live in rural areas and mainly depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Rural workers typically earn low incomes and lack the skills and resources needed to improve their livelihoods. Working arrangements in agriculture are mostly informal, casual or seasonal in nature, leaving rural workers without much protection provided by national labour legislations.

FAO is supporting countries to generate more decent farm and non-farm employment opportunities. It particularly looks to promote employment generation (green jobs) in the transition to environmentally sustainable agriculture and food production. It also addresses the main factors that undermine the wellbeing and productive potential of rural populations, including poor working conditions, difficulties in accessing social protection and damaging child labour. To ensure no one is left behind, FAO targets disadvantaged groups of workers in its programmes and activities, particularly youth, women and migrant workers. Finally, the Organization carries out in-depth research and analysis of rural labour markets with the aim of developing innovative approaches for improving food security through decent work.