Amman, 20 August 2025
The results of an evaluation study revealed that 74% of agricultural establishments in Jordan do not provide occupational safety and health equipment for male and female workers, a situation that warns of a potential increase in work-related injuries in this sector.
These findings were presented during a conference organized by the Phenix Center and Terre des Hommes (TDH) on Wednesday, in cooperation with Acted, as part of the “Economic Development” project. The event aimed to present the study’s results and offer recommendations to enhance decent work standards and occupational safety and health in the agricultural sector.
The study was based on a field survey that included 410 questionnaires distributed to workers and employers in small and medium-sized agricultural holdings in four governorates: Irbid, Ajloun, Balqa, and Madaba. It also included 10 focus group discussions and brainstorming sessions with workers and employers in those governorates.
According to the results presented by researcher Ola Badr, 84.2% of the sampled workers had not received any training on how to use occupational safety and health equipment — a gap that could lead to workplace injuries. Badr noted that 40.9% of respondents reported work-related injuries on the farms where they work.
The causes of these injuries, according to the findings, included the absence of protective equipment, inadequate training, and malfunctioning work tools. The results also indicated weak responses to workplace injuries in the agricultural sector: 87.4% of workers said they had not received any first aid, while 66.7% of injured workers paid for their own medical treatment.
The study also addressed other working conditions, revealing that 96.3% of workers operate under harsh climatic conditions — such as heatwaves — without protective equipment. This leads to physical exhaustion and exposes them to various injuries, such as heatstroke or bites from venomous reptiles.
Ola Badr further highlighted the significant lack of social protection in the agricultural sector, with 94.4% of agricultural workers not covered by social security, and 66% lacking health insurance.
The results also pointed to the absence of work contracts and permits: 90.7% of workers reported having no written contracts, working instead under verbal agreements with employers. Additionally, 94.4% did not have work permits, leaving them more vulnerable to violations and exploitation.
Regarding transportation, the findings showed that most agricultural employers do not provide transport for workers, and when transport is available, it is often unsafe. The study also revealed shortcomings in the availability of sanitary facilities: 68.4% of farms lacked toilets, and where they did exist, they were not gender-segregated, reducing privacy for female workers.
The evaluation also found that the groups most vulnerable to violations in the agricultural sector were:
•Women – 69.8%.
•Children – 51.6%.
•Seasonal workers – 33.5%.
•Migrant workers – 23.7%.
•Workers without permits – 18.6%.
•Persons with disabilities – 16.3%.
The study recommended strengthening social protection for agricultural workers by including them in social security, and enhancing regular and unannounced inspections by the relevant authorities — particularly the Ministry of Labour — by increasing the number of inspectors and providing them with training to ensure compliance with labour laws and occupational safety and health standards.
It also called for the development of comprehensive training programs, in cooperation with the Ministries of Labour and Agriculture, covering safe agricultural practices, the use and maintenance of equipment, handling chemicals, personal protective equipment, biological hazards, and first aid.
Conference participants stressed the need to regulate the agricultural sector in ways that improve working conditions and serve the interests of both workers and employers. This includes enforcing the Labour Law, the Social Security Law, and the Agricultural Workers Regulation in practice, as well as providing incentives and facilities to owners of agricultural holdings — especially small and medium-sized ones — to encourage them to improve working conditions for their employees.
The evaluation results come within the framework of the “Economic Development” project, funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and implemented by a coalition of organizations, including the Phenix Center. The project aims to promote sustainable, inclusive, and decent economic opportunities for vulnerable Syrian refugees and Jordanians in the agricultural sector.