糖心传媒

Temporary migrant agricultural workers form the backbone of Canada鈥檚 agricultural workforce and are vital to domestic food security. Despite their essential role, they often endure hazardous, demanding, and sometimes life-threatening working conditions. Their heightened vulnerability is compounded by restrictive immigration policies, exemptions within labour standards, and insufficient regulatory oversight and inspections. Where national and/or provincial governments have not sufficiently expanded or strengthened the enforcement of labour standards, fair work certifications have emerged as alternative mechanisms. 

Fair work certification refers to a process in which independent organizations establish 鈥渇air鈥� labour standards and audit operations against them. In agriculture, these certifications aim to strengthen supply chains and promote ethical labour practices by expanding access to workers鈥� rights and protections, enhancing inspections, and implementing measures that support workers鈥� decision-making power and meaningful participation.

Fairtrade is a well-established certification system that has long championed trade justice by certifying products from the Global South, particularly well-known in sectors such as coffee, bananas, and cocoa. It has also developed a range of innovative pilot initiatives world wide, that are attentive to diverse and context-specific working arrangements.

In early 2025 Fairtrade Canada, posed a critical question: Is there a place for Fairtrade in North American agriculture? 

This research project responds to that question through a partnership with migration scholars and Fairtrade Canada. Fairtrade Canada is currently exploring the development and pilot of a certification aimed at strengthening domestic supply chains and protecting the migrant agricultural workers who sustain them. Before proceeding with a pilot in two of Canada鈥檚 largest fresh produce markets, Ontario and Quebec, further research is required. A central aim of this project is to ensure that Fairtrade Canada鈥檚 approach is designed and implemented with the active involvement of migrant agricultural workers and their advocates.

This project will employ several methods among various participant groups. 

• Fairtrade stakeholders: Interviews with members of the Fairtrade system to identify the strengths and challenges of previous pilot initiatives, understanding the standards and audits, and recommend strategies for improvement.
• Migrant agricultural workers: Interviews to review current standards and approaches and to collaboratively develop a Fairtrade model that supports their protection.
• Migrant and labour advocates: Interviews with individuals and organizations supporting migrant agricultural workers in Ontario and Quebec to identify key challenges and inform the development of responsive standards and approaches. This may include mental health professionals, occupational health and safety experts, union representatives, and others.
• Retailers: Interviews to assess the potential uptake of the Fairtrade approach and its role in securing fresh produce supply chains in Canada.
• Growers: Surveys and interviews with agricultural employers who hire migrant workers to evaluate potential uptake and participation in piloting the certification model.

In partnership with Fairtrade Canada, this research aims to support the development of a fair work certification model that addresses the unique vulnerabilities of migrant agricultural workers in Canada鈥檚 fresh produce sector. It identifies concrete ways to ensure the meaningful inclusion of migrant workers and their advocates by incorporating their perspectives into both the design of standards and processes, as well as the ongoing evaluation of the certification model. The project also draws on insights from retailers, growers, and certification bodies to strengthen accountability and promote more consistent and inclusive ethical labour practices.

The results of this project will inform the Fairtrade Canada approach with a pilot planned for farms in Ontario and Quebec in 2027鈥�2028.

Current project phase

Ethics approval (REB clearance) has recently been obtained, and the project has now entered the data collection phase.