Embode Delivers Responsible Recruitment Training In Colombia

As a globally focused agency, Embode is adept at being on the ground across contexts and countries. On 13 May 2026, one of our key South America Associates, Flavio, delivered a workshop on Responsible Recruitment & Grievance Mechanisms in Colombia as part of Bonsucro’s South America Capacity Building Program.

The session brought together 25 participants from across the sugarcane sector, including mills, smallholder farmers, NGOs, and consultancies, for a practical discussion on labour challenges facing the industry.

𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝟭: 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

• Participants explored how recruitment-related risks can emerge across the worker journey, from recruitment in home communities through to employment and exit. 
• Discussions covered recruitment fees, contract transparency, labour intermediaries, and oversight of third-party labour providers, with reference to ILO Fair Recruitment Guidelines, the UNGPs, and Bonsucro’s standards.
• The session also looked at regional labour law considerations across Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Venezuela.

𝗠𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝟮: 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺𝘀

• Using the UN Guiding Principles effectiveness criteria as a framework, participants reflected on the strengths and limitations of their existing channels, including hotlines, worker committees, WhatsApp reporting lines, and suggestion boxes. 
• Conversations focused heavily on practical barriers workers face in raising concerns, particularly fear of retaliation, language barriers, low trust in management response, and weak follow-through during investigations and remediation.
• Throughout the day, the discussions stayed closely connected to real operational challenges within the sugarcane sector, using practical examples and case studies that participants recognised from their own contexts.

Thank you to Bonsucro for the collaboration and continued trust throughout this workshop series.