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Implementation Plan

The study will combine available qualitative and quantitative data complemented with semi-structured interviews, surveys and consultations. These data collection tools will help us outline a certification body, the criteria for certification, the aspects that need to be addressed and improved and the commitment of all parties to this scheme. The project, to be completed by January 2024, includes the following phases of work:

FFW Gantt chart design

What have we learned from the successes and failures of other certification initiatives?

Researchers will analyze Fair Farm Work programs and practices in Italy, France, Spain, and the United States with a view to identifying their strong elements and weaknesses. The objective is to investigate the composition of the consortia that led to those programs and explore the implementation hurdles they faced during the planning and implementation processes. 

The team will identify the current gaps in Ontario legislation regarding the regulation of farm work. Other issues to be considered in this stage include compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Employment Standards Act. Researchers will also consider provisions of “decent work” and the fundamental rights standards as per the International Labour Organization (ILO). At the end of this step, findings will be shared with partners with regard to the criteria for certification.

What should be included in a Fair Work labelling scheme?

Based on findings from the literature review, qualitative interviews and consultations with different organizations related to the agriculture sector will be conducted. These organizations include worker associations, unions, farmers, consumer associations, local/regional authorities, NGOs and community-based organizations. Semi-structured qualitative interviews with academics and experts from Europe and North America will also be conducted during this phase. The idea is to develop a narrative about the aspects that should be considered in a fair work labelling scheme and adapt this narrative to the socioeconomic context of Southern Ontario.

In phase 3, researchers will organize bilateral and multilateral meetings with farmers, employer and worker associations and other stakeholders to discuss a potential certification process. Findings from phases 1 and 2 will be considered. The objective is to start building a coalition that may implement the certification scheme in the future. Researchers will ensure that all partners feel co-ownership with the initiative and that all their concerns are incorporated.

Making the project visible through social media channels and through communication partners will be the main objective in phase 4. The team will invite relevant scientific and political commentaries discussing and presenting the initiative. Selected commentaries will be published as op-ed contributions with the support of communication partners. This phase will also include the development of podcasts with partners on various aspects of the process, including highlighting good practices from other countries.

As a result of the activities developed during the phases 2 – 4, a draft for a Fair Work certificate will be presented as a template for the consideration by all partners. Final revision will be conducted in Winter of 2023. By January 2024, an official draft will be presented and distributed among agriculture-related organizations in Southern Ontario with the support of the coalition. During this phase, researchers will consider aspects such as: 

  • The composition of a certification body
  • The process for submission, assessment and subsequent monitoring
  • Sustainability of the initiative on a 5-year plan