The aim of the project is to strengthen Farm Health and Safety Knowledge Systems and support the EU transition to social sustainability in farming. The statistics show that the accident rate on farms is 18% higher than in other industries. These figures underestimate the scale of the problem as a significant proportion of farm workplace injuries and ill health go unreported, un-investigated, and prevention approaches are not learned. Improving farmers’ and farm workers’ health and safety requires actions to change unsafe practices and adopt new, safer and healthier ways of working. 

The project premise is that driving health and safety on farms is about changing habitual practices. To achieve this, SafeHabitus applies a range of novel methods: foresight analysis, analyses of consumer willingness to pay for food production that protects health and safety, digital story telling methods with people who experienced accidents, application of the multi-actor approach to co-design farm work risk management tools, etc.

Partners of SafeHabitus project will undertake research, co-design and distribute easily accessible practice-oriented knowledge, tools and resources that improve awareness and understanding of the health and safety of farmers and farm workers, and application of social innovation processes to enhance well-being, resilience and quality of life in the sector. The project’s focus is inclusive of all workers exposed to risks and hazards regardless of their status (young or old, full-time or temporary workers, etc.).

With aim to strengthen the Farm Health and Safety Knowledge Systems, the project’s objectives are as follows:

• Establish a multi-actor network of EU farmers and farm workers, farm advisors, policy stakeholders, researchers and other relevant actors driven by 10 national/regional Communities of Practice representing a variety of countries and sectors and focused on co-creation knowledge and solutions that improve farmers’ and farm workers’ health, safety and quality of life.
• Improve the understanding and awareness by policy makers, farmers’ organizations, trade unions and health authorities of farmers’ and farm workers’ health and safety at work.
• Identify the implications of farmers’ perceptions of their work on the future of the sector and hence on long-term food security.
• Explore the potential of corporate social responsibility initiatives that enhance farmer and farm worker health and safety.
• Develop recommendations for better performing European and national policy including social conditionality that is part of the CAP’s Strategic plan, and also governance frameworks favoring safer and more inclusive working environments for farmers and farm workers.

Project consortium consists of 20 partners from 12 European countries and Slovakia is represented by Bioeconomy Cluster.