Horizon Europe SafeHabitus Project: Strengthening innovation and knowledge systems in agricultural health and safety

SafeHabitus will make agriculture a safer occupation. Agriculture is one of the most dangerous jobs in Europe. European statistics show that the fatality rate in agriculture is 233% higher than in other industries and the accident rate is 18% higher. These figures underestimate the scale of the problem, as a significant proportion of deaths, injuries, and ill health in the agricultural workplace go unreported, uninvestigated, and lack of learning about prevention approaches. Improving the health and safety of farmers and farmworkers requires action from a variety of stakeholders to empower and support them in changing unsafe practices and adopting new, safer, and healthier ways of working. SafeHabitus is a multi-stakeholder project that has come together to strengthen Farm Health and Safety Knowledge Innovation Systems (FHS KIS) and support the EU's transition to social sustainability in agriculture. Our premise is that promoting health and safety on farms isn't about spreading the word, it's about changing common practices.

To achieve this, SafeHabitus applies a variety of innovative methods: digital storytelling methods from people who have suffered accidents; a multi-stakeholder approach to co-designing agricultural work risk management tools; foresight analysis; analysis of consumer willingness to pay for food production that protects health and safety; benchmarking policies; and elite interviews with policymakers.

Our consortia include end-users, stakeholders, and researchers in the case study Member States. They work together in ten national COPs covering a representative range of countries and sectors. SafeHabitus also collaborates with European bodies and stakeholders that provide critical bridges between EU and national/regional actors and can influence EU policy, such as Geopa (Copa-Cogeca), CEJA, EFFAT, Oxfam, SVLFG, and AEIDL. This multi-level and transnational approach will allow SafeHabitus to promote safer practices on farms across the EU.