Forced labour
Forced labour is all work or service exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the person has not offered themselves voluntarily, as defined by ILO Forced Labour Convention No. 29 (1930).
Also known as: modern slavery · debt bondage · forced or compulsory labour
Why does it matter?
Forced labour risk in agriculture often concerns hired and migrant workers on farms and plantations, sharecroppers and workers bound by debts to employers or intermediaries. It is among the most severe impacts covered by human rights due diligence and the CSDDD.
How is it identified?
No single indicator proves forced labour; the ILO recommends looking at combinations of indicators. In first-mile contexts, relevant signals include:
- workers recruited through intermediaries with recruitment fees or advances;
- wages paid late, in kind or withheld until the end of the season;
- identity documents held by employers;
- workers unable to leave or change employer;
- isolation on remote farms.
Worker voice matters more than document checks: anonymous surveys and grievance mechanisms reach people audits miss.
Common pitfalls
- Surveying only farm owners and not workers.
- Asking about forced labour directly, rather than about the conditions that indicate it.
- No safe channel or remediation pathway once a case is reported.
Farmer1st’s human rights service supports worker and farmer surveys with appropriate consent and safeguards.
Frequently asked questions
What are common indicators of forced labour?
The ILO lists indicators such as abuse of vulnerability, deception, restriction of movement, isolation, violence, intimidation and threats, retention of identity documents, withholding of wages, debt bondage, abusive working conditions and excessive overtime.
Does the EU have a specific forced labour law?
Yes. The EU adopted a regulation prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market. Check EUR-Lex for its current text and application date.
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