The Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Health Development Programme

Toros Agri has been supporting The Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Health Development Programme launced by Harran University in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and run in colleboration with the Ministry of Health and the Governorates of Şanlıurfa and Adıyaman since 2013.

According to the data of Turkish Statistical Institute, approximately 26% of workforce reaching 25 million in Turkey is agricultural workforce, and it is estimated that half of this consists of seasonal agricultural workers. As in the world, in our country as well, the most important problem of seasonal agricultural workers is the lack of sufficient clean and secure accommodation conditions. Most of the seasonal agricultural workers are obliged to stay in tents made of nylon or clothes, unprotected, lacking appropriate toilet, bathroom, clean drinking / supply of water. This situation creates some difficulties in respect of basic requirements and predisposes them to various health problems. Moreover, workers’ deprivation from occupational health and safety while working on the fields in extremely hot and unprotected environments away from clean water that they need and their exposure to agricultural pesticides adversely affect the health conditions. The researches reveal that 80 percent of seasonal agricultural workers throughout Turkey do not have health coverage; and they cannot adequately benefit from healthcare services.

With the project in question, it is targeted to provide seasonal agricultural workers and their families with access to healthcare, strengthen the capacity of the relevant healthcare services and improve their living conditions in general. The programme aims to develop a national model. Toros Agri, as the main financial sponsor of the project, at the same time performed the promotional activities to increase the recognition of the project.

So far, the information and awareness raising activities, have not only created a general awareness in the public on this critical issue, but has also been instrumental in taking some concrete steps in addressing this issue in a more comprehensive manner. In this regard, in 2014 November, at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) it is been agreed to establish a Parliament Investigation Commission to investigate the problems of seasonal agricultural workers and a commission consisting of 17 members was constituted and commenced its studies.