Assessing Harvesting the Future

Advancing Human Rights in Agricultural Supply Chains: Assessing Harvesting the Future

Seasonal agricultural work remains one of the most precarious forms of employment globally, especially for migrant workers and their families who often move across regions and borders to harvest crops. In this context, the Harvesting the Future (HTF) initiative—piloted in Türkiye and expanded to Egypt and India—aims to address the structural human rights challenges that these workers face, with a particular focus on child protection and responsible recruitment. This study, conducted by the Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights and commissioned by the Fair Labor Association (FLA), evaluates the potential of the HTF’s model to strengthen human rights due diligence (HRDD) in upstream supply chains.

Based on in-depth interviews with local partners and analysis of mid-project reporting, the research assesses the HTF model’s design, stakeholder engagement, and long-term viability. The findings show that HTF offers a structured and collaborative model for tackling systemic labor rights issues across multiple commodities and geographies. While initial evidence points to positive outcomes for seasonal workers and improved practices among suppliers and labor intermediaries, the study also highlights the importance of addressing key implementation challenges—such as sustaining long-term partner commitment and improving data collection. The study concludes that with strengthened institutional engagement and brand alignment, HTF can serve as a sustainable foundation for protecting vulnerable workers in global agricultural supply chains.

We hope the report helps to foster this model of shared responsibility between brands, local governments, civil society and workers to address systemic human rights risks for a nomadic migrant workforce in agriculture supply chains.

Key Takeaways:

• ✅ Structured Collaboration: HTF provides a scalable model for collective action and shared responsibility on labor rights risks in agriculture.

• 📈 Evidence of Impact: Partners report improved capacity among suppliers and labor intermediaries, with visible benefits for seasonal workers and their families.

• ⚠️ Challenges Remain: Sustaining momentum, strengthening local ownership, and capturing consistent impact data are critical next steps.

• 🤝 Path Forward: Multinational brands can amplify HTF’s impact by aligning internal systems with the HTF framework and promoting responsible sourcing practices anchored in FLA standards.