Why Fair Farms
We believe that the majority of horticulture growers and other industry members want to do the right thing by their workers. However, it can be challenging to navigate our complex employment and WHS laws and regulations. As recent reporting by the FWO and others show, the complexity of our system can lead to unintended non-compliance, for example the inadvertent under-payment of staff. This is particularly a risk with the smaller businesses who do not have the expertise of a dedicated human resources team.
Then there are also rogue operators in our industry who purposely exploit workers to reduce labour cost and undercut pricing of the compliant growers. These operators harm workers and put the future of horticulture as one of Australia’s thriving industries at risk.
Fair Farms has been developed by industry for industry to help address these issues proactively. The program will support all members of the Australian horticulture supply chain with the tools, information and training they need to be a compliant and ethical employer. In addition, participants in the program can demonstrate their compliance to their customers, workers and consumers through certification.
Over time, the transparency generated through Fair Farms will help level the playing field and support a sustainable future for our industry.