IAWA

International Association on Work in Agriculture

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Welcome to the International Association on Work in Agriculture!

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The IAWA - International Association on Agricultural Work - brings together the research and development community studying agricultural work around the world, with the aim of crossing disciplinary and thematic entries. The aim is to understand, analyze and compare the realities of work and workers in agriculture and to reflect on the future of work.  

Subscribe to become a member of the International Association on Work in Agriculture.

3rd International Symposium on Work in Agriculture 2026

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Save the date!! 7th – 10th July 2026

Important dates

29 August 2025: Deadline for submissions for Working Groups
15 September 2025: Communication on accepted Working-groups' proposals and possible revisions of proposals.
1 October 2025: Launch call for contributions to the accepted Working Groups.

Location:

Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Agricultural, School of Agricultural, Forest & Food Sciences (BFH-HAFL), Zollikofen, Switzerland

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Agroscope
Bern University of Applied Sciences
event From 09 Sept. 2025 to 15 Sept. 2025

Kigali, Rwanda

call for papers ANAPRI-World Bank conference : "Leveraging the Agrifood System for Jobs"

More and better job creation tops policymakers’ agenda globally. The Agrifood System (AFS) is at the heart of this agenda. ANAPRI and the World Bank are excited to announce a call for papers on “Leveraging the AFS for Jobs” to be presented on November 3, 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda during a pre-conference to the 12th Annual ANAPRI Stakeholders Conference (4-6 November 2025).
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04 December 2025

Webinar

SAVE THE DATE! Webinar "Working conditions and mobility of migrants in the agricultural and food sector, in a context of diverse policies"

The International Association on Work in Agriculture (IAWA) proposes a webinar to address this topic on working conditions and mobility of migrant agricultural workers in host countries and the threats implied by current policies on the continuity of farming activities, particularly the labour-intensive ones.

The association strengthens ties with Europe, Africa and Oceania. Welcome to Pierre Girard (Cirad), David Meredith (Teagasc), Ibrahima Diallo (ISRA), Wendy Geza (UKZN), Callum Eastwood (Dairy NZ).

Bergère conduisant un troupeau de brebis.  MEURET Michel,  Médiathèque INRA

19 news, 6 congress, 8 calls for papers and several publications on the theme of work in agriculture, from decent work, emotional work, gender, and farming systems

couverture travail decent en agriculture

This policy brief, published in the French Development Agency's (AFD) Policy Dialogues collection, looks at decent work in agriculture through the prism of family organisation of work and production models in Africa. It follows on from the international conference on the future of work and employment in the agricultural sector in West Africa

In a flash

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03 July 2025

By: Isabelle Avelange

The work of farmers in short food supply chains: Systematic literature review and research agenda

This work, co-authored by Philippine Dupé with Benoît Dedieu, Pierre Gasselin, Guillaume Ollivier, offers a systematic review of the English-language literature on the work of farmers in short food supply chains. it's published in Plos one.
Journal of Rural Studies
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02 April 2025

By: Isabelle Avelange

Investigating ‘decent work’ in agriculture

In Journal of Rural Studies (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd), this special issue, edited by members of IAWA, is based on papers presented at the 2nd International Symposium on Work in Agriculture (29 March – 1 April 2021) and explores application of Decent Work (DW), as conceptualised by the International Labour Organisation, to agriculture.
Journal of Rural Studies
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18 September 2024

By: Isabelle Avelange

Elaborating decent work for agriculture: Job experiences and workforce retention in the Australian orchard industry

This new article, the fruit of the work of some members of the IAWA association, is published in Journal of rural studies. It is a contribution to examine the utiliy of the decent work concept as it relates to the problem of workforce retention. it addresses this using a case study of waged workers' experiences of their jobs in the perennial horticulture (orchard) sector in one region of the Australian state of Victoria, focusing on permanent employees (that is, waged workers engaged in more than seasonal or temporary work)
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23 May 2023

By: Priscila Malanski

Decent Employment and the Future of Agriculture. How Dominant Narratives Prevent Addressing Structural Issues

Special issue from Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems coordinated by IAWA members
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23 May 2023

By: Priscila Malanski

Neither Corporate, Nor Family: The Indian “Patronal” Farm

Special issue from Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems coordinated by IAWA members
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23 May 2023

By: Priscila Malanski

The Multiple Influences on the Future of Work in Agriculture: Global Perspectives

Special issue from Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems coordinated by IAWA members
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23 May 2023

By: Priscila Malanski

An intensive and collective style of farm work that enables the agroecological transition. A case study of six French farm machinery cooperatives

Special issue from Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems coordinated by IAWA members