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Experts warn of the high accident rate in agriculture in a new book published by Cajamar
CIHEAM > AGENDAS > Experts warn of the high accident rate in agriculture in a new book published by Cajamar
  • Cajamar presents the book 'The Agrifood Sector and the Workplace: A Relationship in Transformation' at EXPO SAGRIS
  • The book includes a chapter by Alun Jones from CIHEAM Zaragoza and Isaac Abril from the INSST, and warns of the high accident rate in the agriculture sector, calling for urgent, systemic improvements

Madrid, 6 November 2025. At IFEMA, during the first edition of EXPO SAGRIS, Cajamar has presented its publication: El sector agroalimentario y trabajo: una relación en transformación, a collective work in Spanish addressing the deep, rapid transformation of the working environment of Spain’s agriculture and food industries.

Cajamar’s director of Studies and Publications, Ignacio Atance Muñiz, welcomed attendees and explained the relevance of this type of publication, "as it stimulates debate on the future of employment [in agriculture] and encourages reflection upon the sector’s ability to attract and retain talent, one of the main concerns of agribusinesses today".

Atance was joined by Professor Dionisio Ortiz Miranda of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and coordinator of the work; Karina Pereira, director of Finance, Economic Studies and Talent at the Spanish Federation of Food and Beverage Industries (FIAB); Andrés Góngora, head of Labour Relations at the Coordinator of Farming Organisations (COAG); Manuel Piedra, secretary for Immigration and Employment in Agriculture of the Small-Scale Farmers’ Union (UPA); and Juan José Álvarez, secretary of the Organisation of the Young Farmers’ Association (ASAJA). The president of Cajamar, Eduardo Baamonde Noche, closed the event.

A sector undergoing rapid transformation

Employment has become one of the main concerns of the Spanish agrifood sector. In recent years, labour availability, job profiles, and demand for skilled workers have changed even more rapidly than in previous decades. The authors take a deep look at these shifts from a wide range of perspectives, portraying a sector undergoing accelerated structural change characterised by a growing proportion of salaried workers, increased professionalisation, evolving roles of women, lack of generational renewal, and dependence on migrant labour. The book analyses the impact of digitalisation and new challenges for occupational safety and health.

Occupational safety and health (OSH): the unresolved challenge

The work includes a chapter from Alun Jones, head of Projects at CIHEAM Zaragoza, and Isaac Abril Muñoz, director of the Department for Working Conditions in the Agricultural and Maritime Fishing Sector at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (INSST). Their analysis examines prevalent occupational risks in agriculture and proposes a set of measures to reduce the sector’s persistently high accident rates.

Jones and Abril highlight a worrying reality: agriculture has one of the highest rates of occupational injury in comparison to other economic sectors. In 2023, the sector’s fatal injury rate reached 10.8 per 100,000 workers, exceeding that of the construction sector (10.0) and more than double that of the manufacturing industry (4.4).

Key hazards include tractor and machinery rollovers, workers struck by moving equipment, falls from heights, exposure to plant protection products, ergonomic and musculoskeletal risks, and extreme climate conditions. The authors also reveal a significant problem of under-reporting, with official records accounting for only an estimated 60% of fatalities in the sector.

Proposals for a necessary change

Jones and Abril propose a comprehensive package of measures that includes renewal of the fleet of agricultural machinery, equipped with contemporary safety systems (ROPS/FOPS, seat belts), improvement of farm access routes, and provision of areas of shade and access to drinking water.

In training and awareness-raising, the authors underline the need for lifelong learning programmes adapted to the cultural and linguistic diversity of the workforce. Specific recommendations include the development and implementation of a sector-specific training license (carné de formación sectorial) to harmonise competence requirements, a National Action Plan on Safety and Health, supported by the establishment of an annual Agriculture Safety and Health Week, and incorporation of OSH in curricula delivered in the Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Science.

In his concluding remarks, Eduardo Baamonde, president of Cajamar, stressed that the challenges described in this publication "are a call to action in a workplace scenario that is not circumstantial but structural, and requires sustained, long-term commitment ". He went on to emphasise the need for "social recognition of agricultural and agroindustrial work as a strategic, forward-looking activity, capable of offering attractive and sustainable career paths; and to step up efforts to attract and retain talent, improve working conditions and lifelong training, and invest more in innovation, artificial intelligence, and robotics to increase productivity and provide better and safer working conditions ".

The publication is available at the following link: 'Sector agroalimentario y trabajo: una relación en transformación'.