Farming is one of Europe’s most dangerous occupations, with a fatality rate 233% higher and an accident rate 18% higher than other industries. These figures likely underestimate the issue due to underreporting and lack of investigation. Improving health and safety in farming requires empowering farmers and workers to adopt safer practices. SafeHabitus, a multi-actor project, aims to strengthen Farm Health and Safety Knowledge Innovation Systems (FHS KIS) and promote social sustainability in farming. It uses innovative methods such as digital storytelling, multi-actor approaches to co-design risk management tools, foresight analysis, and policy benchmarking. The project connects stakeholders, researchers, and end-users across eleven national Communities of Practice, representing diverse EU countries and sectors. SafeHabitus also collaborates with European bodies to bridge EU and regional actors, influencing policies and advancing safer farm practices throughout the EU.
Objectives
1. Establish a multi-actor network of EU farmers and farm workers, farming organisations, farm advisors, policy stakeholders, researchers, and other relevant actors, driven by 11 national/regional Communities of Practice (COPs) representing a variety of countries and sectors and focused on co-creating knowledge and solutions that improve farmers’ and farm workers’ health, safety and quality of life.
2. Improve the understanding and awareness by policy makers, farmers organisations, trade unions and health authorities of farmers’ and farm workers’ health and safety at work.
3. Identify the implications of farmers’ and farm workers’ perceptions of their work on the future of the sector and hence on long-term food security.
4. Explore the potential of corporate social responsibility initiatives and bottom up innovations that enhance farmer and farm worker health and safety.
5. Develop recommendations for better performing European and national policy, and governance frameworks favouring safer and more inclusive working environments for farmers and farm workers.
SafeHabitus adopts a place-based, multi-actor approach to tackle farm health and safety (FHS) challenges at local, regional, and EU levels. Recognizing the influence of social, cultural, and environmental factors on daily farming practices, SafeHabitus develops tailored solutions co-designed with farmers, farm families, and farm workers. Central to its mission is strengthening Farm Health and Safety Knowledge Innovation Systems (FHS KIS) by improving knowledge flows between actors, supporting co-creation and validation of solutions through Communities of Practice, and linking research outputs with policy and advisory systems to enable uptake across Europe.
