Strengthening the Farm Health and Safety Knowledge and Innovation Systems in Europe
Farming is amongst the most dangerous jobs in Europe. European statistics show that the fatality rate in farming is 233% higher than other industries and the accident rate is 18% higher. These figures underestimate the scale of the problem as a significant proportion of farm workplace fatalities, injuries and ill health go unreported, un-investigated, and prevention approaches are not learned. Improving farmers’ and farm workers’ health and safety requires action by a range of stakeholders to empower and support them to change unsafe practices and adopt new, safer and healthier ways of working.
SafeHabitus (funded under Horizon Europe) is a multi-actor project that aims to strengthen Farm Health and Safety Knowledge Innovation Systems (FHS KIS) and support the EU transition to social sustainability in farming. Driving health and safety on farms is not only about dissemination but changing habitual practices. To achieve this, SafeHabitus applies a range of novel methods:
- digital storytelling methods with people who experienced accidents;
- application of the multi-actor approach to co-design farm work risk management tools;
- foresight analysis;
- analysis of consumer willingness to pay for food production that protects health and safety;
- bench-marking policies and elite interviews with policy makers.
SafeHabitus brings together 20 partners from different parts of Europe: end-users, stakeholders, and researchers in case study Member States. These work together in ten national Communities of Practice covering a representative variety of countries and sectors. This multi-level and transnational approach will allow SafeHabitus advance safer practices on farms across the EU.