Title : Safety first as a competitive advantage for agri-business
Abstract:
The aim of this contribution is to present a research project that focus on how agricultural entrepreneurs work to reach safe and sustainable working processes in their businesses, and by this contribute to concept development regarding how safe and sustainable processes can be developed and create sustainable competitiveness in the industry.
It is important to study work processes regarding safety and sustainability in Swedish agriculture for several reasons. Several actors in society point out the importance of having a sustainable and safe work environment. The Swedish government has formulated an updated work environment strategy for the future for the period 2021–2025. The Government states that the occupational injuries entail severe financial consequences at the individual and societal level as well as personal suffering for those affected. The work environment strategy for 2021–2025 focuses on the sub-goals (i) a sustainable working life - everyone must be able, strong, and willing to work a full working life, (ii) a healthy working life - working life must contribute to development and well-being, (iii) a secure working life - none should risk life or health due to the job and (iv) a labor market without crime and cheating. However, the Swedish Work Environment Authority believes that fatal incidents should be greatly reduced by companies developing a good safety culture and functioning systematic work related to the security aspects in the industry. The agricultural industry is one of the industries that has had the most accidents in the last decade, also with fatal outcomes. It shows the centrality of studying work processes regarding safety and sustainability in the agricultural industry. The Swedish Work Environment Authority believes that fatal incidents should be greatly reduced by companies pursuing a good safety culture and functioning systematic work environment work. It is therefore important to conduct research and development work regarding safe and sustainable work processes in the agricultural industry.
The project is conducted in co-operation with agricultural extension services and agricultural entrepreneurs who actively are working with the development of their businesses. We will use both qualitative and quantitative methods to answer these questions and fulfill the aim of the project. That is, the data collection will include both interviews, observations, and questionnaires. There will be both academic and practical contributions from the project.
Expected results from an academic perspective will be the identified safe and sustainable working processes and how these can serve as a competitive advantage in Swedish agriculture. Expected results for practice will be new knowledge about safe and sustainable working processes as well as suggestions of problem solutions for agricultural entrepreneurs.
What will audience learn from your presentation?
- Coaching towards safety first will be discussed, by analyzing the scope of safety work together with behaviors of a proactive and reactive nature.
- The practical problem relates to the problematic situation with accidents in the agricultural industry (including smallholder forestry) together with increasing market competition.
The empirical and theoretical problem can be defined through the fact that we lack research about how agricultural entrepreneurs work to integrate safe and sustainable working processes in their businesses. We also lack conceptual models for how to reach safe and sustainable working processes in the industry
