Extending Social Insurance for Agricultural Workers in the MENA Region

The agriculture sector is crucial to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including reducing inequalities and advancing climate action. Approximately 1.1 billion people work in agriculture, and the sector is marked by a high prevalence of working poor, intrinsic risks, and climate-related challenges. Robust social protection systems could transform efforts to address poverty, inequality, and the just transition in this context.

Research shows that over 90% of agricultural workers (AWs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) work informally. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the agriculture sector employed 18.7% of the workforce in 2019. According to a joint ILO, FAO, and IPC-IG study, agriculture accounts for at least a quarter of the workforce in several MENA countries, including 52.7% in Mauritania, 40.3% in Sudan, 35.9% in Morocco, 29.6% in Yemen, and 25% in Egypt.

Agricultural workers often lack access to social insurance (SI) schemes and benefits, including old-age pensions, work injury, maternity, and health insurance. In the MENA region, various barriers prevent AWs from accessing SI, such as exclusion from legal frameworks, financial constraints, administrative hurdles, and informational challenges. This exclusion leaves AWs, one of the most exposed groups to health, economic, environmental, and social risks, among the least protected.

Additionally, the sector is characterized by its inherently hazardous nature, significant poverty levels among its workforce, and the profound impacts of climate change. Robust social protection systems are crucial in addressing poverty, inequality, and ensuring a just transition for agricultural workers.

While positive examples and good practices exist in the region, significant gaps in extending social insurance coverage remain. Within this context, the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched the MENA Policy Incubator to Enhance Social Insurance for Agricultural Workers in Amman in 2024. 

Policymakers, practitioners, experts, and representatives of agricultural workers from Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Oman, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia joined the three-day event, marking the initial step towards the establishment of a community of practice for reflections and knowledge sharing on extending social insurance for agricultural workers in the region through interactive peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and learning. 

Building on these efforts, this episode of the Arab Compass will examine and discuss successful regional experiences in extending social insurance coverage to agricultural workers in the MENA region, while also presenting the next activities of MENA Policy Incubator.

Agenda

Moderator:  Dalia Abulfotuh, Economist, FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa 

13:00 – 13:15 | Opening and Welcome

• Lea Bou Khater, Social Protection Technical Officer, ILO Regional Office of Arab States
• Shea McClanahan, Senior Officer in Social Security and Social Policies, ISSA

13:15 – 13:25 |Setting the Stage

• Mehdi Ben Braham, Economist, Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Economiques de Tunisie

13:25 – 13:55 | Panel discussion

• Mohamed El Azhar, Director of inspection and control, National Social Security Fund, Morocco
• Mounir Cherif, Senior Social Protection Consultant 

13:55 – 14:25 | Q&A

14:25 – 14:30 | Closing Remarks

• Omar Benammour, Social Protection Officer, FAO, Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division 

This episode is part of the webinar series "Arab Social Protection Compass: Towards Integrated Approaches for Universal Social Protection", organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and technical support of socialprotection.org. The initiative intends to put a spotlight on reforms and programmes geared towards fostering integration within social protection across the region and beyond, while contributing to stir discussion at the national level. Throughout the series, speakers will delve into both the theoretical underpinnings and practical implementations of specific reforms, aiming to inspire a broad audience of practitioners to replicate or scale up similar interventions.