Economic approaches to measuring labor exploitation in agriculture: A systematic literature review of indicators and methodologies

Agriculture remains highly vulnerable to labor exploitation, affecting almost two million workers worldwide and drawing increasing attention, particularly within the framework of Sustainable Development Goal 8 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. However, the informal nature of exploitation and fragmented data complicate its analysis. This review examines methodological approaches and multidimensional indices used to assess labor conditions in the agri-food sector. Out of 1528 documents screened from Web of Science and Scopus, 56 articles were analyzed, revealing a predominance of quantitative methodologies, with some studies utilizing multidimensional indices to measure labor-related variables. The review highlights gaps in research, such as limited exploration of housing conditions and social inclusion, as well as geographical disparities, with a focus on low-income countries. It emphasizes the need for reliable data, expanded research in high-income countries, methodological advancements, and greater inclusion of farmer perspectives to enhance social sustainability and equity in food systems. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.