[1] Originally named the International Union of Food and Allied Workers' Associations (IUFAWA), its affiliates were all European until 1950, but it then rapidly expanded worldwide.

In 1988, the IUF was the first international trade union to sign a global framework agreement with the French food multinational BSN (Danone).

In 1994, the International Federation of Plantation, Agricultural and Allied Workers merged into the IUF, which took its present name.

[4] In 2019, the IUF was composed of 422 member organisations in 127 countries, representing more than 10 million workers.

The organization represents workers employed in agriculture, the preparation and manufacture of food and beverages, hotels, restaurants and catering services and in tobacco processing.