Risk of forced labour embedded in the US fruit and vegetable supply

Forced labour in agriculture is a threat to the sustainability of food systems. With distinct datasets and a new forced labour risk scoring method, this study demonstrates that while many commodities are at higher risk, a small number of commodities account for substantial fractions of the risk embedded in the US retail fruit and vegetable supplies. Sustainable food consumption studies have largely focused on promoting human health within ecological limits. Less attention has been paid to social sustainability, in part because of limited data and models. Globally, agriculture has one of the highest incidences of forced labour, with exploitative conditions enabled by low margins, domestic labour scarcity, inadequate legal protections for workers and high labour requirements. Here we assess the forced labour risk embedded in the US retail supply of fruits and vegetables using distinct datasets and a new forced labour risk scoring method. We demonstrate that there is risk of forced labour in a broad set of fruit and vegetable commodities, with a small number of commodities accounting for a substantial fraction of total risk at the retail supply level. These findings signal potential trade-offs and synergies across dimensions of food system sustainability and the need for novel research approaches to develop evidence-based forced labour risk mitigation strategies.

Automated summary

Forced labor in agriculture poses a threat to food system sustainability. Certain commodities in the US retail fruit and vegetable supplies carry a substantial amount of risk, highlighting the need for attention to social sustainability. The study underscores the importance of addressing forced labor risks in the agricultural sector to ensure a more sustainable food system.