ILO Data Highlights Role of Non-Market Food Producers

On June 7, World Food Safety Day, new labor data from ILO highlighted the role of subsistence foodstuff producers, workers often excluded from policy frameworks but essential to household food security in many countries.

These producers, mostly individuals who grow or gather food primarily for their own consumption, are more visible in statistics due to changes in international labor measurement standards. The 2013 resolution from the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) introduced a revised classification of work, enabling governments and researchers to distinguish own-use production from other forms of labor.

“This statistical shift makes it possible to analyze work patterns that were previously overlooked,” notes ILO. “It gives policymakers better tools to understand who is working and how.”

Small-scale food producers operate across rural regions in both high- and low-income countries. While some participate in local markets, many do not, relying instead on their production to meet basic needs. These activities are often excluded from gross domestic product and employment statistics, even though they account for a substantial share of labor in rural areas.

Recent labor force data collected using the new standards across 35 countries show that 26% of the working-age population engages in subsistence foodstuff production. In countries such as Malawi, Nepal, Vietnam, and Niue, that figure exceeds 50%. Participation is predominantly rural and, in many cases, led by women, highlighting gender disparities in formal labor market access.

In most of the countries studied, women in subsistence roles are more likely than men to lack access to formal employment. The data indicate that subsistence work is often not a matter of choice, but necessity. Many individuals turn to own-use production in the absence of stable income, particularly where paid employment is scarce or informal.

These dynamics became more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Botswana and Uganda, formal employment declined while subsistence food production increased. The trend suggests that own-use production serves as an informal safety net, especially during periods of economic disruption.

ILO’s classification includes five forms of work, with subsistence food production falling under own-use production of goods. This broader category also includes activities like collecting water, building one’s own home, or repairing tools. While difficult to quantify, these tasks are central to household functioning in many lower-income settings.

To help national statistical agencies collect more accurate data, ILO has introduced model survey tools that account for local contexts without overburdening respondents. These tools aim to capture the intensity and diversity of subsistence activities while balancing practical survey design.

One key measure revealed by the new data is the labor underutilization gap. Subsistence foodstuff producers are more likely to experience underemployment, unemployment, or fall into the potential labor force, those willing but unable to work or those available but not actively seeking jobs. In 72% of the countries surveyed, subsistence producers had higher rates of underutilization than the rest of the working-age population.

As countries work toward the Sustainable Development Goals, understanding the role of subsistence producers may influence agricultural, social protection, and labor policies. Current evidence shows that many people involved in subsistence work do so due to a lack of alternatives. Without accurate data, policies risk ignoring the needs of a significant portion of the labor force, says ILO.