The Government of Mexico, through the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Labor and Social Security, and the Environment and Natural Resources, along with the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), has announced the launch of a new program aimed at adding value to labor in the countryside. The initiative is designed to ensure that all Mexican agro-export products comply with labor and environmental regulations, as well as phytosanitary standards. The goal is to uphold labor rights, maintain occupational health and safety, prevent deforestation, and promote the responsible use of natural resources.

The program will be implemented progressively across all agri-food export products, starting with the avocado production chain, covering planting, crop management, harvesting, packing, and exporting.

According to a government release, this initiative seeks to strengthen Mexico’s position in international markets by establishing the country as a “global reference for the sustainable and fair production and marketing of primary and agro-industrial products.”

Julio Berdegué Sacristán, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasized that while the avocado is a key product for national consumption and export, it faces challenges related to deforestation and labor informality.

“President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo has instructed us to achieve shared prosperity with social inclusion and environmental sustainability, ensuring a better quality of life and productivity,” he said.

Under Sheinbaum Pardo’s direction and with the coordination of Lázaro Cárdenas Batel, Head of the Office of the Presidency, the ministries, along with the IMSS, have agreed to integrate all agro-export chains into deforestation-free frameworks and promote labor formalization.

“By starting with this sector, we can extend these efforts to other agro-export industries that require similar organization in labor and environmental matters. We are confident that the private sector will support this significant initiative called for by the President for the benefit of the Mexican people,” said Cárdenas Batel.

Marath Bolaños López, Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare, explained that the program will identify agricultural work centers that comply with the Federal Labor Law, National Employment Service regulations, and the Social Security Law, making adherence mandatory for agro-export companies.

She added that the program could be managed through the Ministry’s Good Labor Practices and Decent Work Accreditation System, which includes the Voluntary Labor Verification Program (Velavo) and the Self-Management Program for Safety and Health at Work (PAST). These mechanisms will allow workplaces to demonstrate compliance with labor regulations.

“Our proposal is for Velavo to serve as the foundation for the Federal Labor Certificate for Agroexports, adapting new modules and including specific requirements for the agricultural sector. This will help advance accreditation and respect for labor rights within the export agribusiness,” she said.

Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources, emphasized incorporating key environmental aspects into the program, including preventing deforestation, ensuring responsible water consumption, and reducing pesticide use. She also proposed creating a forest cover map using 2018 data to assess the compatibility of agro-export activities with environmental conservation.

“We are concerned about deforestation, as well as water consumption and the indiscriminate use of agrochemicals. We propose collaboration among the Agriculture and Environment Ministries, Conabio, and Conafor to develop a forest cover map,” Bárcena Ibarra said.

She noted that between 2018 and 2024, approximately 20,000 hectares of forest were depleted for avocado orchards, some through arson. “One avocado tree consumes as much water as 14 pine trees. These crops have high water demands, and their uncontrolled expansion has serious ecosystem impacts,” she added.

Zoé Robledo, General Director of the IMSS, discussed mechanisms to ensure compliance with Sheinbaum Pardo’s commitment made during her inauguration: guaranteeing labor formality and social security for agricultural day laborers.

He stressed the importance of ensuring that these workers and their beneficiaries have full access to IMSS benefits, including medical care, disability or retirement pensions, survivor pensions, and the right to enroll their children in Child Education and Care Centers (CECI).

Robledo emphasized that the IMSS maintains an ongoing dialogue with rural producers, particularly avocado growers in Michoacán. He also highlighted the construction of a new 90-bed hospital, set to open in May 2024 with an investment of over 1.1 billion pesos, to provide medical care to rural workers and their IMSS beneficiaries.

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