Middle East and North Africa: Policy incubator on social insurance of workers in agriculture

Background

Research shows that over 90 per cent of agricultural workers in low- and middle-income countries are in informal employment. In 2019, the agriculture sector employed 18.7 per cent of the workforce in the region as a whole in In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)  region.  Workers in this sector often tend to be excluded from social insurance schemes and benefits such as old-age pensions, work injury benefits, maternity benefits and health insurance.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have launched a MENA Policy Incubator to facilitate online interactive peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and learning among policymakers and practitioners.

Objectives

In view of setting the scene for the MENA Policy Incubator, their members will participate in an expert group meeting scheduled to take place in Amman, Jordan, from 24 to 26 June. 

During this meeting, they will reflect on three key points: 

• Challenges and opportunities to including agricultural workers under social security legislation
• Innovations in extending social security coverage to agricultural workers
• Strengthening incentives for formalization through linkages with other policy areas

The incubator represents an initial step towards establishing a community of practitioners dedicated to promoting the extension of social insurance to agricultural workers in the MENA region and fostering the replication of successful practices.

 

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