ILO s WIND approach brings safer coffee farming to Vietnam

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is using the Work Improvement in Neighbourhood Development (WIND) approach to improve occupational safety and health in coffee farming communities in Vietnam. Through the ILO–Nestlé partnership, implemented with the support of the Vision Zero Fund, the WIND methodology has become an important part of the approach to enhance safety and health in the coffee-growing sector.

Nguyen Trong Tuong, Nescafé Plan Programme Manager in Vietnam, has been instrumental in adapting the WIND concept to the unique context of coffee farming. He understands that safety is an ongoing concern throughout the coffee growing season, with different risks and tasks emerging at different times. By using the ILO WIND action checklist, Tuong has helped farmers identify practical improvements in cultivation, plant care, harvesting and transport, storage and processing.

Farmers have taken the process back to their own farms and households, documenting changes through photographs. These changes now number over 2,000, covering practical improvements such as safer storage of tools and chemicals, improved electrical safety, and work areas. Tuong has trained more than 150 farmers across three provinces in Central Highlands, with the ILO–Nestlé partnership continuing to look ahead to future areas of learning, including first aid and social protection.

His experience demonstrates the value of making new knowledge relevant to farmers, ultimately leading to safer and healthier working conditions in coffee farming communities.