AGRO-WELL at the International Workshop on Labor Migration in Agriculture
- laura9835
- Dec 23, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
On 15 December 2025, AGRO-WELL participated in the International Workshop on Labor Migration in Agriculture, hosted by the Dutch government and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) at the residence of the Dutch Embassy in Paris.
The workshop brought together over fifty experts in-person, with many more joining via livestream, to discuss labor migration challenges in agriculture and explore the crucial role of labor migrants in agriculture, the challenges they face, and strategies to improve working conditions while maintaining productivity and sustainability.
Labor migration remains essential in many countries, but migrant workers often face precarious conditions, from housing and recruitment issues to exposure to exploitation.
Policymakers, sector representatives, scientists and experts from Europe, the United States, South Korea and Australia shared experiences and best practices, highlighting the need for evidence-based policies, stronger regulation, better social protection and innovative approaches that reduce dependency on manual labor.
International dialogue, cross-sector collaboration, and technology-driven solutions were emphasised as key ways to make agriculture more resilient, fair and productive.
While approaches differ across countries, participants noted that many challenges are remarkably similar, making international knowledge exchange particularly valuable.
AGRO-WELL coordinator, Dr. Fabian Frick (Technical University of Munich), shared the AGRO-WELL perspective during Panel 3: Labour-saving technologies and productivity in agriculture.
His talk, "Tackling labour shortages and working conditions with new technologies: Insights from the AGRO-WELL project", highlighted how innovative solutions (such as automation, robotics and precision farming tools) can address labor shortages while boosting productivity, sustainability and resilience, all while improving working conditions for agricultural workers.
Our coordinator highlighted practical examples of how technological innovations can optimise labor use in agriculture and discussed strategies for scaling up successful approaches.
Other panelists included Philip Martin (University of California - Davis), Saske Hoving (RVO Netherlands), Paul van Zoggel (Wageningen University & Research), Guus van Roessel (LELY), and Arne Bac (RABOBANK), who shared their experiences with labour-saving technologies.
A recording of the workshop will be available online in early 2026, along with a report summarising key insights and conclusions.
