Forced labour risk is pervasive in the US land-based food supply

Abstract

Social risk assessments and case studies of labour conditions in food production primarily focus on specific subpopulations, regions and commodities. To date, research has not systematically assessed labour conditions against international standards across diverse, complex food products. Here we combine data on production, trade, labour intensity and qualitative risk coding to quantitatively assess the risk of forced labour embedded in the US land-based food supply, building on our previous assessment of fruits and vegetables. We demonstrate that animal-based proteins, processed fruits and vegetables, and discretionary foods are major contributors to forced labour risk and that 62% of total forced labour risk stems from domestic production or processing. Our findings reveal the widespread risk of forced labour present in the US food supply and the necessity of collaborative action across all countries—high, middle and low income—to eliminate reliance on labour exploitation.

Augmenting the National Nutrition Data System to Promote Diet Sustainability Analyses

“…The United States food system also accounts for over one-quarter of freshwater withdrawals and land use, and over 10% of fossil fuel use [ 9 ]. Concerns about safe working environments are also emerging [ 11 ], as well as other indicators of social sustainability such as food availability and cultural acceptability [ 12 ]. These impacts vary tremendously by which commodities are produced for human consumption [ 11 , 13 , 14 ] and dietary shifts are urgently needed to bring the United States and global food systems within planetary boundaries [ 15 , 16 ].…”