Issues / Workers' rights
the people behind our food
Workers' rights
The people who raise, process, and move our food.
Quick answer
Food-system workers face demanding and sometimes dangerous conditions. In a study of U.S. poultry processing plants summarized by Faunalytics, 40% of workers reported moderate to severe work-related pain in the past year, and 44% of them did not report it.
Last reviewed . Sources are listed below.
the basics
What this issue covers
Behind every meal are workers on farms, in processing plants, on fishing boats, and on delivery routes. Their work can be demanding and sometimes dangerous, and their wellbeing is tied to how animals are treated.
At the Humane Choices Foundation (HCF), we look at working conditions in the food system, the rules that protect workers, and how worker welfare and animal welfare connect. In one study of U.S. poultry plants, 40% of workers reported moderate to severe work-related pain in the past year.
The COVID-19 pandemic showed how exposed these workers are. At least 59,000 U.S. meatpacking workers caught COVID-19 and 269 died, and an outbreak at the Cargill plant in High River, Alberta, infected 821 employees, the largest single-site outbreak in Canada at the time.
dig in
Questions worth asking
Our guides on each question are being written. Every figure will come with a source.
- What is it like to work on a farm or in a processing plant?
- What rules protect food-system workers?
- How are worker wellbeing and animal welfare connected?
- Who speaks up for workers who cannot?
follow the thread
Where animals come in
Worker welfare and animal welfare move together. Fast line speeds, crowded plants, and pressure to keep production running put both people and animals at risk, and improving conditions for one often helps the other.
Farmed land animals
Farm and slaughterhouse workers handle billions of animals a year, often at high speed.
Aquatic animals
Some 61.8 million people work in fishing and fish farming, mostly in small-scale operations.
Service and working animals
Handlers and trainers work alongside service and working animals every day.
by the numbers
What the evidence says
Every figure links to its source. See all of them on our facts and sources page.
40%
Faunalytics, Most Chicken Slaughterhouse Workers At High Risk For Injury Recent study
59,000+
Associated Press, reporting a U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis report 2021 report
821
CBC News, Alberta meat-processing plant tied to Canada's largest COVID-19 outbreak 2020
quick answers
Frequently asked questions
What risks do slaughterhouse workers face?
Faunalytics summaries describe repetitive-motion injuries, chemical exposure, and higher rates of mental health concerns than the general public.
Do workers report their injuries?
In the poultry plant study, 44% of workers who experienced work-related pain did not report it to a supervisor or company health provider. The authors say the real level of harm may be higher.
How are worker welfare and animal welfare connected?
Faunalytics notes that improving conditions, such as slowing line speeds and increasing inspections, can protect workers and may also reduce animal suffering.
How did COVID-19 affect meatpacking workers?
A 2021 U.S. House subcommittee report found that at least 59,000 meatpacking workers caught COVID-19 and 269 died. In Canada, CBC News reported that 821 employees of the Cargill plant in High River, Alberta, were infected in 2020.
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