The Government of Mexico and the United Nations have launched the Steering Committee of the joint programme “Transformation of agrifood systems in Mexico: Towards comprehensive social protection and decent rural employment.” Supported by the Joint SDG Fund, the programme aims to improve the working and living conditions of agricultural wage workers while strengthening their access to labour and social protection rights.
Implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), with support from the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, the initiative brings together key national institutions. These include the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, the Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare, the Mexican Social Security Institute, as well as workers’ and employers’ organizations.
The joint programme aligns closely with Mexico’s comprehensive national strategy to guarantee the constitutional rights of agricultural wage workers, recognizing their essential contribution to food sovereignty and rural economies.
Building coordinated action for decent work
At the launch of the Steering Committee, Lina Pohl, FAO Representative in Mexico, underscored the programme’s transformational ambition. She highlighted that an estimated 2.3 million agricultural wage workers urgently need access to fair and decent working conditions, noting that improving their quality of life is central to advancing sustainable agrifood systems.
Irvin Rojas, General Coordinator of Information, Intelligence, and Evaluation at the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasized the programme’s role in expanding access to healthcare, education, and housing for rural workers and their families.
Jorge Ríos Vadillo, Director General at the Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare, stressed that social dialogue will be critical to advancing the formalization of agricultural employment and protecting workers’ rights.
Four priority areas of action
The joint programme will focus on four interlinked areas:
- Strengthening data and evidence by enhancing tools such as the National Survey of Occupation and Employment and the Agricultural Census to better understand the realities and needs of agricultural wage workers.
- Assessing policies on formalization and social protection, including their effectiveness and impact on workers’ livelihoods.
- Engaging medium- and large-scale producers to promote improved working conditions across agricultural value chains.
- Advancing institutional coordination, aligning strategies and actions across government entities and social partners.
Through the Steering Committee, public institutions, international organizations, employers, workers, and civil society will work together to advance a fairer, more equitable, and more sustainable agrifood model—fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The unsung backbone of agrifood systems
In Mexico, one in every three jobs is linked to agrifood systems. Within this workforce, agricultural wage workers remain among the most vulnerable. An estimated 90 per cent work informally, earning an average monthly income of around USD 160.
Women face particularly acute challenges. Many migrate internally with their children in search of seasonal agricultural work, often under precarious conditions and heightened risks. Women represent 13 per cent of agricultural wage workers, while 23 per cent belong to Indigenous communities.
By addressing these structural challenges through integrated policy, data, and partnership approaches, the Joint SDG Fund–supported programme seeks to ensure that those who underpin Mexico’s food systems can access dignity, protection, and opportunity.
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
