Workforce Health Across the Value Chain 2025

–The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) operates a multi-tiered worker health initiative supported by its members, development partners and industry actors. BGMEA runs eight health centres serving more than 60,000 garment workers annually with free medical services and medicines.107 In collaboration with the ILO, BGMEA is also scaling model enterprise clinics to provide accessible, high-quality healthcare within garment factories, guided by sustainability and governance standards.108 Notably, the Avery Dennison Foundation funded the expansion of UNICEF’s Mothers@ Work programme – supporting breastfeeding spaces, maternity care and workplace health services – across 160 additional RMG factories, building capacity among healthcare staff and facility managers.109 These programmes aim to institutionalize health services and maternal well-being throughout the sector, strengthening resilience through preventive care and worker- centred design. The health ministry isn’t just going to throw money at something that is not fully proven in the geographies that you’re going to implement in. So that’s where I think our role – a little bit of a catalyst for broader change – comes through. We as a company can take both the programmatic and financial risk, support the tweaking, adaptation and localization of these models so that they work really well. Alexandra Plowright, Head of Community Health and Wellbeing, Anglo American Smallholder farmers, who cultivate less than 2 hectares of land, are crucial to global food security, producing 80% of the food supply in developing countries.110 Despite their vital role, these farmers face significant challenges, including severe climate impacts such as droughts and floods, inadequate credit and insufficient insurance coverage.111 In response, Bayer, through initiatives such as the Better Life Farming (BLF) Alliance, has spearheaded comprehensive programmes designed to support smallholders by enhancing productivity, resilience and overall well-being. The BLF Alliance – launched in 2018 by Bayer, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Netafim – provides an integrated ecosystem for smallholder farmers in rural Asia, Africa and Latin America.112 Reports indicate that farmers participating in BLF experienced significant enhancements in financial stability and overall life satisfaction, with 84% of surveyed farmers in India noting improvements in their quality of life due to the initiative.113 Additional initiatives, such as Semilla Segura in Latin America and Lakapati Weather Insurance in the Philippines, address similar gaps, offering critical agricultural insurance to protect smallholder farmers from climate-related shocks. In the Philippines, 71% of participants reported that the insurance improved their resilience against adverse weather events.114 Both programmes have also demonstrated positive effects on farmers’ psychological well-being, including reduced stress and anxiety linked to unpredictable weather and crop failure risks.115 Complementing these efforts, Bayer’s Nutrient Gap Initiative in Indonesia focuses on community-based nutrition education, raising awareness of dietary diversity, nutrient- rich foods and essential prenatal supplementation (multiple micronutrient supplementation – MMS). The programme works through last-mile health social enterprise with community health workers to reach vulnerable populations – particularly women and children.116 In India, the Knowledge Transfer Initiative provides tailored training on climate-smart farming, health and hygiene practices and women’s empowerment, reaching not only farmers but also wider community members through on-the- ground facilitators and village engagement hubs. The initiative strengthens adaptive capacity while supporting resilient livelihoods and improved health behaviour change.117 Collectively, these programmes contribute to Bayer’s goal of reaching 100 million smallholder farmers by 2030. In doing so, they strengthen economic stability, health and resilience across farming communities, supporting broader goals of food security and sustainable development.CASE STUDY 2 Bayer’s investment in farmer resilience Workforce Health Across the Value Chain: Organizational Insights to Mitigate Risk and Create Sustainable Growth 23