The SHWA 2026 Keynote Lectures Programme has been announced, setting the stage for an inspiring plenary session dedicated to some of the most urgent and forward-looking issues in agricultural safety, health and well-being.
Taking place on 14 September at 15:00 at the INAIL EUR headquarters in Rome, the plenary session will bring together leading international voices from academia, research and professional organisations. Their contributions will offer fresh insights into the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of safer, more inclusive and more sustainable agricultural work.
The keynote programme will open with Serap Gorucu from the University of Florida, USA, who will deliver the lecture “Advancing Agricultural Safety and Inclusion: Injury Surveillance, Assistive Technologies, and AgrAbility”. Her presentation will explore how injury surveillance, assistive technologies and inclusive approaches can support safer and more accessible agricultural workplaces.
John Rosecrance from Colorado State University, USA, will then address the role of emerging digital technologies in occupational health with his keynote “Integration of AI Tools in Ergonomic Assessments”. This timely contribution will highlight the growing potential of artificial intelligence to enhance ergonomic evaluation, support prevention strategies and improve working conditions across the agricultural sector.
Bringing the perspective of European employers and farmers, Claudia Merlino, President of GEOPA – European Employers’ Group of Professional Agricultural Organisations, Italy, will present “European Farmers’ Perspectives on Innovation for Safer Work: Concerns, Barriers, and Opportunities”. Her keynote will focus on the practical realities of innovation in agriculture, examining the expectations, concerns and opportunities that influence the adoption of safer working practices.
The session will conclude with Peter Lundqvist from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden, with the keynote “Mental Health and Well-being of Farmers”. His presentation will address a topic of increasing global relevance, placing farmers’ mental health and well-being at the heart of the conversation on occupational safety and sustainable agriculture.
Together, these keynote lectures will provide a rich and international overview of the scientific, technological and social dimensions of safety and health in agricultural work. They will offer participants the opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research, policy perspectives and practical experiences from different parts of the world.
By bringing together academics, researchers, experts, professionals and stakeholders from across the international community, SHWA 2026 reaffirms its role as a key forum for sharing knowledge, fostering collaboration and shaping the future of safer, healthier and more inclusive agricultural work.
