Migrant labour in Farm-to-Fork: Fixing governance gaps, putting dignity at work

This Discussion Paper examines the structural conditions shaping migrant labour in Farm-to-Fork (F2F) sectors across the European Union. Drawing on insights from the DignityFIRM project, it analyses how governance gaps, policy fragmentation and socio-economic pressures contribute to persistent precarious working and living conditions for migrant workers. The overall aims of the paper are: (1) to identify the key structural drivers—such as labour shortages, supply-chain pressures and migration policies—that underpin the reliance on migrant labour; (2) to assess how policymaking processes across different domains (migration, labour, agriculture and business responsibility) affect working conditions; and (3) to propose policy recommendations to address governance shortcomings and improve dignity at work. The analysis focuses in particular on agriculture, food processing and delivery sectors, applying a policy-cycle approach that covers agenda setting, policy formulation, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.

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How to cite: Neidhardt A.-H., Migrant labour in Farm-to-Fork: Fixing governance gaps, putting dignity at work (2026). European Policy Centre, DignityFIRM Discussion Paper. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19355436