Palma al día aims to enhance understanding and implementation of the core components of labour formalisation, occupational safety and health (OSH), and compliance with labour regulations in the oil palm industry. Through a fully virtual, participatory model tailored to the realities of the agricultural sector, the programme offered practical tools that enabled employers from various regions of the country to improve their management practices and advance compliance with their labour obligations.
The Palma al día programme was conceived as an initiative to provide resources tailored to the needs of the business sector, aimed at addressing frequently asked questions on priority topics within the framework of the project - particularly regarding labour formalisation and occupational safety and health,"
- Paola Campuzano, National Coordinator of the ILO project Strategic Planning Laboratory for the Promotion of Labour Formalisation and Occupational Safety and Health in the Oil Palm Sector.
The structure of the programme included cycles of theoretical and practical training, alongside individualised advisory sessions to support oil palm producers in closing formalisation gaps. The four-month programme provided tools for short-, medium- and long-term action plans, ensuring continuous and effective guidance throughout the process.
The strategy offered participants:
- Six specialised webinars delivered by labour law experts with a sectoral focus
- Practical advisory sessions, including the resolution of real cases and the use of tools such as payroll calculators
- Tailored technical assistance, offering individualised guidance to each production unit
Colombia continues to face significant challenges regarding labour formalisation in the agricultural sector, where informality rates exceed 83%. This means that more than 4 million rural workers lack access to social security and formal contracts.
This context underscores the urgent need to actively engage the business sector in developing sustainable solutions that not only improve the quality of life for rural workers but also enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the agricultural sector as a whole.
The initiative is driven by Cargill's commitment to ensuring the social sustainability of the sector and facilitating the export of palm oil to global markets that demand traceability in production processes - including guarantees for labour rights.
The programme brought together 22 individuals in key compliance roles, representing 18 companies in the oil palm sector. These companies took part in a process of training and follow-up on the programme's thematic areas, and significant opportunities for improvement were identified.
Among the most notable outcomes was a substantial improvement in participants' understanding of the topics covered, as reflected in evaluation tools applied during the course. In addition, a digital toolkit was compiled - bringing together all programme content in a user-friendly, easily accessible format.
This process gave us the tools to understand what we need to comply with and how to do so. We were also able to ask questions and begin to implement what we learned, step by step. I also believe we need to create a culture of care and wellbeing for workers. We have many ideas for achieving that, but having the support of organisations like the ILO and Cargill could be key,"
- Valentina Botero, participant in the Palma al día programme.
Palma al día forms part of the Strategic Planning Laboratory for the Promotion of Labour Formalisation and Occupational Safety and Health in the Oil Palm Sector, an ILO project supported by Cargill as financing partner. The programme is now recognised as a replicable strategy for promoting decent work, labour formalisation, and social justice in strategic rural sectors.
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