Seasonal Migrant Workers Research Articles

Investing in technology to address labour shortages in UK fresh produce and horticulture: How does this redefine standards of good agricultural practice

The global agri-food sector is becoming more fragile as a result of supply chain shocks like COVID-19, Brexit and conflict, which is posing a growing challenge to the horticultural industry. As a result, it is becoming clearer how crucial seasonal agricultural migrant workers are to ensuring food security. Delivering GAP requires taking into account the effects of COVID-19 and Brexit on the UK’s fresh produce and horticulture sectors as well as the potential for increased demand for automation and Agriculture 4.0. In the medium and long run, the market conditions may favourably accelerate automation and the adoption of Agriculture 4.0 as a workable solution to the workforce shortage. The greatest opportunities for automation and the application of new technology will be found in the transport, harvest, and post-harvest processes. Investment in automation and technology adoption depends on access to finance, appropriate training and upskilling, and other stakeholders’ support (e.g. by retailers). We conclude that understanding the need for automation, embracing Agriculture 4.0, utilising labour schemes, and envisioning how work and farming will change in the future is critical when examining GAP in the context of an integrated approach within the fresh produce and horticulture sectors.

An Evaluation of Living Conditions and Dietary Habits of Seasonal Migrant Agricultural Workers: The Example of Turkey

ABSTRACT Objective The nutritional status of seasonal migrant agricultural workers is negatively affected by problems with working conditions, wages, accommodations, and living conditions. This study aimed to investigate the living conditions, dietary habits, and food consumption frequency of seasonal migrant agricultural workers in Turkey. Methods This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in July and August 2022 in the neighborhoods of Akçadağ district in Malatya Province, Turkey. The sample of the study consisted of 262 seasonal migrant agricultural workers aged 15 and over who came to the region for the apricot harvest. The data were obtained using the face-to-face interview technique via a two-part questionnaire including questions on socio-demographic characteristics, living conditions, dietary behaviors and food consumption frequency. Results The mean age of the seasonal migrant agricultural workers was 24.16 ± 0.75, and they worked 12.01 ± 0.10 hours per day on average. It was determined 74.8% of the workers had access to clean water, and 50.4% did not think they had an adequate and balanced diet. It was found only 57.3% of the workers had a normal body mass index, 80.2% never ate fish, 53.8% never ate red meat, and 67.2% never drank milk, while only 34.4% were able to eat seasonal vegetables. Conclusion The findings of the study show that seasonal migrant agricultural workers in Turkey do not have suitable conditions in terms of food and accommodations, and their working conditions, wages, and health conditions are inadequate. These deficiencies have a negative effect on workers’ quality of life and health status.

SEASONAL MIGRATION IN THE HARVEST OF SUGARCANE IN BRAZIL

It is known that there are challenges faced by seasonal migrant workers in the harvest of sugarcane in Brazil, highlighting issues related to human rights and social justice. In this study, precarious working conditions, health impacts and limited access to fundamental labor rights faced by these workers are exploited. In addition, existing government policies and gaps in the legal protection of these workers are discussed, emphasizing the need for measures to promote a safer, more dignified and fair migration. There are also the following research questions that have moved the search in this study: What are the main causes of seasonal migration in sugarcane harvesting? What are the main challenges faced by workers? How is social justice impacted by migration? What policies and practices were innovative to protect rights? Thus, this study aimed to reflect on the theme of seasonal migration in the harvest of sugarcane and its implications for social justice and the human rights of these people. This study is a bibliographic revision of the narrative, qualitative type; which was built from the following steps: definition of the problem; Review planning; Choose databases; Definition of keywords; Selection of inclusion and exclusion criteria; Search in literature; Selection of studies and finally, critical analysis, which will allow a synthesis of the results found. Studies published in the last 10 years have been used on the subject, which have been organized in a single framework and compared in the textual discussion. Therefore, this article provided the reflection on this theme, verifying that the instability caused by migration can lead to problems in the family, educational, emotional, social, economic area, within others. It was possible to highlight that the fact that it seeks to develop programs that allow the creation of public policies that guarantee social justice, and minimization of social iniquities, are necessary.

Agricultural crisis, refugee crisis, or health crisis? Migrant seasonal workers in Italian agriculture during the COVID pandemic

AbstractThe concept of crisis has been widely used to describe European social phenomena which have become acute and unmanageable in recent years. Exceptionality and emergency have become attributes of the political strategies developed to address the economic, social, and environmental unsustainability of industrial farming; the flow of forced migrants; and the COVID‐19 pandemic. This article is based on ethnographic data collected over more than 2 years among immigrant workers and their employers in northern Italy, before and during the spread of the pandemic. By relating the experience of the people involved and analysis of the structural dimensions, I show how the “refugeeization of the agricultural workforce” and the “normalization of precarity” are two interconnected and interdependent processes. My study contributes to the recent scientific debate on the “polycrisis” by highlighting how the agricultural crisis generated a demand for vulnerable migrant labour and this situation was exacerbated by the health crisis.

Challenges faced by migrant seasonal agricultural farmworkers for food accessibility in Spain: A qualitative study

ABSTRACT Migrants who work seasonally in agriculture face living and working conditions that significantly impact their health. Some of these conditions are related to inadequate food access or food preservation and preparation hygiene. This study aimed to explore how migrant and seasonal agricultural farmworkers access food in Spain from the perspective of professionals supporting this population. We conducted a qualitative study in 2021 based on semistructured interviews with 92 social and health service professionals involved in the care of seasonal migrant workers in 4 Spanish provinces. We identified three themes through reflective thematic analysis: (1) Access to food depends on NGOs and institutions, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) Relevant cultural differences in diet depending on North African or sub-Saharan origin; (3) Seasonal migrant workers frequently suffer from nutritional and other health problems related to food security. The professionals interviewed described the diet of seasonal migrant workers as based on food with little variety, insufficient protein content, and obesogenic products. They also reported a generalized lack of hygiene in food storage and preparation. This study calls for encouraging dietary support strategies to reduce challenges in food accessibility, which would prevent health problems in this population and bring them social justice.

Water insecurity among seasonal agriculture workers: perspectives from Spanish professionals

BackgroundMigrant seasonal agricultural workers face conditions of material vulnerability such as inadequate housing difficulties prevent access to running water supplies. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of professionals involved in the care and support of seasonal migrant agricultural workers, as it relates to water access and water consumption and their impact on these workers’ health, in a context of COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A qualitative exploratory and descriptive study was conducted in 2021 as part of a larger research project, based on 63 personal semi-structured interviews with professionals who provided support to seasonal migrant agricultural workers in three Spanish autonomous regions. COREQ checklist was used for reporting. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and imported into ATLAS.ti-9 for an inductive thematic analysis. Results: The results have been structured into two main themes: (1) Accessing and obtaining water; and (2) Health problems related to water consumption. Seasonal migrant agricultural workers experience barriers to obtaining safe water for hygiene, cleaning, food preparation and drinking. The implementation of regulations to reduce COVID-19 transmission resulted in improved hygiene levels in the migrants’ quarters, including access to safe drinking water. Conclusion: This study suggests that water insecurity experienced by migrant seasonal agricultural workers in Spain results from their poor living conditions and causes health problems related to a lack of hygiene and the use of unsafe water. Sustainable solutions are needed beyond the pandemic in order to provide migrant workers with adequate living conditions and ensure their water needs are fulfilled.

Intimate liminality in Spain's berry industry

AbstractSpain's berry industry relies on the agricultural labour of both local and seasonal migrant workers. A significant part of this migrant workforce comprises Moroccan mothers who leave their children with relatives in order to perform this wage labour. The bilateral recruitment regime favours the employment of Moroccan women with children for this labour to ensure that workers return home at the end of the harvesting season. Drawing on multi‐site ethnographic research in Spain and Morocco, this study revealed the effects of this bilateral labour regime on the intimate lives of migrant workers. We argue that the geopolitical prescriptions of this labour migration regime, along with the working and living conditions of migrant workers in Huelva, result in experiences of intimate liminality. We examined these experiences by exploring: (1) how the role of female workers as mothers becomes liminal as transnational labour agreements marginalise and outsource care obligations, (2) how governmental neglect of migrant workers' occupational health exposes them to reproductive health risks and (3) how this neglect places them in a liminal space in terms of access to healthcare, and (4) how, despite their liminality, migrant workers contest precarious conditions through everyday solidarity practices. We advance a feminist approach to liminality, emphasising the importance of an embodied, intersectional, and multiscalar perspective.

Childrens’ attachment story-completions and their theory of mind in three Turkish contexts: Seasonal migrant agricultural worker communities, residential group homes, and rural villages

ABSTRACT This study examines the association between attachment story-completions, as evaluated by a representational attachment measure, and theory of mind (ToM) among 204 socioeconomically disadvantaged children aged four to six years living in three distinct Turkish contexts: Seasonal migrant agricultural worker (SMAW) communities, residential group homes (RGHs), and rural villages. Attachment story-completions and ToM were found to be related to the distinct contexts children were living in. In the SMAW communities, higher number of children showed insecure dominant attachment, with only one in four having secure dominant attachment. About half of the children in the RGHs had insecure dominant attachment. However, the majority of village children exhibited secure dominant attachment. Furthermore, irrespective of the context, secure dominant attachment was found to have a substantial positive influence on children’s ToM. Findings suggest that early intervention programs tailored to address emotional needs and support cognitive skills may be the most effective in helping children in these contexts.

“Deep Weathered Jam”: Creative Conversations with Geologic Mobilities and Farming Landscapes

“Deep weathering” is a geologic process that takes millions of years of seasonal wetting and drying of certain rocks to produce high levels of iron-oxide. The result is a rich, red soil, perfect for crops like sugar cane and sweet potatoes. Evidence of deep weathering is in the fertile soils of Bundaberg, a regional town in Australia with a violent colonial past, yet a key part of the nation’s food production and hub for seasonal migrant workers. The region is a hive of mobility, millennia in the making, that epitomises contemporary debates on housing, migrant labour, global supply chains, and ecological destruction. This visual essay presents a series of creative experiments of making jam at roadside rest areas. Using a hiking stove, third-grade fruit the farm workers bring home, locally produced sugar, a hint of soil, the process is a creative conversation across geologic and human mobilities in the region.

Enhancing employment conditions for migrant seasonal workers—Assessing consumer preferences for ‘fair-labour’ apples

Abstract Criticisms over labour practices in agricultural production often target the living and working conditions of migrant seasonal workers. This article assesses consumer preferences for apples produced under social conditions exceeding current legal standards. The analysis is based on a discrete choice experiment (DCE) with a sample of 204 German consumers, who were asked to choose among domestic ‘fair-labour’ apples and standard apples. The former differed in six attributes describing the social conditions facing migrant seasonal workers on German farms. A mixed logit and latent class model were used to analyse the data. The predicted probability of choosing a ‘fair-labour’ apple was 85 per cent. Consumers valued higher minimum wages, the inclusion of migrant workers in Germany's social security system, and bonus payments for work on Sundays and public holidays. Improved accommodation and limits on the maximum permissible weekly working hours were considered less important. The low-price elasticity suggests that farmers could recoup a large share of the extra costs involved in providing enhanced living and working conditions for their workers.

Seasonal Migrant Workers Perceived Working Conditions and Speculative Opinions on Possible Uptake of Exoskeleton with Respect to Tasks and Environment: A Case Study in Plant Nursery

Seasonal migrant farmworkers are essential to the success of agriculture in Quebec as they provide the labor needed to produce crops and animals. Notwithstanding, these workers are often at risk of occupational health and safety hazards, while only a few interventions have been implemented to improve the situation. Modern engineering interventions like exoskeleton devices have been introduced to reduce the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders in other industries, but nothing much has been done in agriculture. This paper employed a mixed-method approach to evaluate the effect of environmental conditions and physical activities on farmworkers’ bodies and sensations and explore their speculative opinions about exoskeletons for their tasks. This study took place in a large plant nursery. Data were collected through field observations, written questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. The analysis showed heat, humidity, cold, and rain affect farmworkers in feeling sore, worn out, tired, weak, and suffocated. The arms and the back were the body parts most affected by the repetitive bending over and carrying the load. Farmworkers’ exoskeleton perceptions were positive, remarking benefits such as making the task easier, improving posture, reducing fatigue, and protecting the body. The barriers that emerged were concerning the exoskeleton weight, being uncomfortable to wear, causing heat, restricting mobility, not allowing flexibility to change tasks, and not allowing space to work in tight workplaces. The study includes strategies to ensure credibility, reliability, and transferability. Future investigations could test exoskeletons on farmworkers and conduct the cost benefits of exoskeletons in agriculture.

Sociocultural problems of seasonal migrant agricultural workers in Manisa region (Turkey): a qualitative study

Agriculture is a mode of production that maintains its importance for humanity across all historical periods. Despite the development of technology and the mechanization that comes with it, agricultural labour continues to be the basic element of agricultural production. Seasonal work is one of the most common types of agricultural work, which is shaped by the different production conditions in a country. In Turkey, where agricultural product diversity is quite high due to a favourable climate, most agricultural workers migrate to different regions seasonally for work in agricultural production. Therefore, it is important to evaluate this group’s problems and life experiences from sociocultural and economic perspectives. In this respect, research was carried out using qualitative techniques in the towns of Kavaklidere and Piyadeler in the Alasehir District of Manisa Province. These regions are important seasonal destinations for migrant agricultural workers during harvest periods. These regions produce 1/3 of the seedless raisins in the country. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 seasonal migrant agricultural workers determined by judgemental sampling, and semistructured observations were carried out in the research area. Based on the results of this research, this study reveals that seasonal migrant agricultural workers in the region live at standards far below the general welfare level of society. Workers generally do not have social security. However, seasonal agricultural work for migrants has turned into a regular work- and lifestyle. The most important reason for this situation is poverty in rural areas. The workers are different from the local people in terms of ethnic origin. However, there is a long-standing relationship of trust between the local people and the workers. Workers do not have any problems with wages. These are other factors that ensure the continuity of seasonal agricultural work. In this context, this study proposes that the project (METIP) carried out by the government for seasonal migrant agricultural workers in Turkey should be transformed into an employment-guaranteed national programme that includes solutions for all the problems identified in the field studies.

Effect of Parental Seasonal Labor Migration on Children’s Care and Educational Performance in Rural Nepal

This article focuses on the effect of parental migration on the care and educational performance of left-behind children of migrant families. This ethnographic study was conducted among the Kham people in Kankri, Rukum East district of the western mid-hill region of rural Nepal. Information was collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and living in the community in their setting. Income from parental labor migration provided families with food, clothing, access to basic health services, and investment in their children’s education. Left-behind children lacked parental care with proper guidance and emotional support, so they started taking alcohol, Charash (marijuana resin), and showing violent behavior. Children from migrant households have school absences and poorer educational performance as they are required to help with household work and lack guided learning at home. Children lose interest in studying, and those who miss upper-class admission because of seasonal migration drop out of school and join the migration. Parents select private or government schools for their children depending on remittance, quality of education, network availability, and future opportunities. Parents who had hardships during their migration are determined to educate their children in school, but they do not provide equal educational opportunities for boys and girls. Seasonal migrant workers anticipate that their children will engage in seasonal work during school breaks so that they can contribute to their schooling costs.

Trapped Within Borders: Exploitation of Migrant Seasonal Workers in German Agriculture During COVID-19 Lockdown; Placing the Actors and Understanding Their Roles

While European borders were closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Europe witnessed the exodus of Romanian seasonal workers to Germany. Although both countries’ governments agreed to allow this under the condition of the strictest adherence to the sanitary restrictions and workers’ rights, soon after, the media began to report situations of non-adherence to the coronavirus-related measures and workers’ labor rights. Following the theoretical framework of the Routine Activities Approach and its updates, this case study combines the collection of press material (N=140), Facebook posts (N=93), and interviews with seasonal workers in agriculture (N=5) and identifies the exploitative behaviors and actors involved. The results suggest that the perpetrators of these behaviors were certain intermediaries as well as farmers. The seasonal workers most at-risk were those with poor literacy who had not mastered the German language, were financially precarious, and were unwilling to seek the authorities’ help. The spaces in which the exploitation occurred were cyberspace or isolated rural farms. Seven guardians and seven super-controllers played a considerable role in protecting the workers on the farms, but not during the recruitment process. Situational prevention techniques, such as the creation of a mobile application to inform workers of their rights and allow them to report violations remotely, and collaboration with online platform services to flag fraudulent job advertisements automatically are proposed.

The management of Covid19 pandemic and its impact on migrant farmworkers in Italy: anthropological insights

PurposeTwo important measures concerning the management of the workforce were introduced in Italy during the COVID-19–related health emergency: the regularization of irregular migrants working in the domestic and agro-industrial sector, and the introduction of the health-pass requirement to access all workplaces. This article analyses the impacts of such measures on a specific category of workers: migrant farmworkers, notably racially subaltern, marginalized and exploited. Implicit ideological and normative assumptions underlying Italian policies to address the health emergency and related labor shortages raise important questions about the meaning of “life” and whose lives matter in emergency contexts, which this article aims to address.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on the case study of the informal settlements for seasonal migrant workers in the agro-industrial district of Capitanata (Apulia).FindingsBased on the aforementioned case study, this article shows that Italian measurs concerning the management of the workforce during the COVID-19–related health emergency resulted in various forms of blackmail to which migrant farmworkers were especially subjected, and increased their exploitability and “expulsability” from the labor market. In particular, it argues that the aforementioned measures resulted in significant shifts in the relationship between migrant farmworkers and the state, on the one hand, and between migrant farmworkers and employers, on the other.Originality/valueRather than promoting migrant farmworkers' social, economic and health rights, this double shift turned into increased oppression, exploitability and dependency on the employer.

Continuities of exploitation: seasonal migrant workers in German agriculture during the COVID‐19 pandemic

AbstractSeasonal migrant agricultural workers were declared ‘essential’ in Germany at the very outset of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Two harvest seasons later, continuing poor working conditions, infection outbreaks on farms, and a general exclusion from social security schemes show that the recognition of the ‘essential’ character of the job has not translated into any improvements for workers. Based on interviews with trade union‐affiliated counsellors for migrant workers across Germany and analysis of the policies and legal measures introduced during the pandemic, this article demonstrates how pre‐existing institutional structures of exploitation in relation to seasonal agricultural work have been not only sustained but also reinforced.

Health as an emerging value in the construction of quality of berries in Huelva (Spain)

This article examines how health is constructed as an emerging value of quality standards in intensive agriculture in the province of Huelva (Spain) with a specific focus on the health and welfare of female seasonal migrant workers. Based on an ethnographic approach, the research draws on two sources: an analysis of Global G.A.P. quality standards documentation and qualitative in-depth interviews with four key social actors, including local producers, social and professional organisations, healthcare professionals and migrant women working on seasonal contracts. Drawing on theoretical contributions from convention theory and the socio-anthropological approach of political economy, the study identified imbalances between the meanings and practices around health and safety. Principally, the study concludes that norms established by quality standards focus almost exclusively on consumers’ health while neglecting the health costs and inequalities experienced by female agricultural workers.

High asymptomatic malaria among seasonal migrant workers departing to home from malaria endemic areas in northwest Ethiopia

BackgroundIn Ethiopia, thousands of seasonal migrant workers travel from non-malaria or mild malaria transmission areas to malaria-endemic areas for seasonal farm activities. Most of these migrants stay in the farm areas for land preparation, plowing, planting, weeding, and harvesting for a specific period and return to their living areas. However, there is limited evidence of how seasonal migrant workers contribute to the transmission of malaria to new or less malaria transmission areas.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at the departure phase of seasonal migrant workers in the Metema district from September 2018 to October 2019. A total of 1208 seasonal migrant workers were interviewed during their departure from farm sites to their homes. The face-to-face interviews were performed using a pretested structured questionnaire. Moreover, blood samples were collected from each study participant for microscopic malaria parasite examination. The data were fitted with the logistic regression model to estimate the predictors of malaria transmission.ResultsAt departure to home, the prevalence of malaria among seasonal migrant workers was 17.5% (15.6–19.45%). Approximately 71.80% (177/212) of the cases were Plasmodium falciparum, and 28.20% (35/212) were Plasmodium vivax. Most seasonal migrant workers 934 (77.4%) were from rural residences and highlanders 660 (55%). Most 661 (55.4%) of the migrants visited two and more farm sites during their stay at development corridors for harvesting activities. Approximately 116 (54.7%) asymptomatic malaria cases returned to the Dembia 46 (21.7%), Chilaga 46 (19.8%) and Metema 28 (13.2%) districts.ConclusionIn this study, asymptomatic malaria remains high among seasonal migrant workers departing to home from malaria endemic areas. This may fuel a resurgence of malaria transmission in the high lands and cause challenges to the country's malaria prevention and elimination efforts. Hence, tailored interventions for seasonal migrant workers could be in place to enhance malaria control and elimination in Ethiopia, such as asymptomatic malaria test and treat positive cases at departure and transit, and integration between malaria officers at their origin and departure for further follow-up to decrease any risk of spread at the origin.

Agrarian Distress and Seasonal Out-migration: Insights from a Field Survey in North Bengal

A substantial section of India’s migrant labour force is pushed into precarious livelihoods in the informal economy. The circular dynamic of seasonal migration, taken to fill the recurrent voids in earnings and employment, is the only distress-ameliorating strategy of marginalised households and should not be equated with accumulative and aspirational forms of livelihood diversification. We analyse the processes behind the emergence of a mobile labour force in the backdrop of the declining viability of agriculture. We have documented illustrations of livelihood distress of two villages using data from a primary field survey conducted in the northern region of West Bengal. Our findings show that the multiple modes of migration in both villages were outcomes of migrants’ relentless efforts to continuously evolve and explore new routes for livelihood and, in the process, develop ways to minimise risks and social costs. With rising employment insecurity in the urban economy, migrants were building resilience against different forms of vulnerability and redundancy from traditional modes of reproduction. The linkages between the crisis of survival of the agrarian classes in rural India and the continued vulnerability of the seasonal and circular migrant workers point to the specific ways in which labour is getting absorbed, most often in adverse forms, in a rapidly globalising Indian economy.

Saving Bavarian Hops in a “Parallel Universe”: Lessons on the Biopolitics of Agricultural Labor in Germany During the Corona Pandemic

AbstractWhen countries closed their borders to curb the spread of COVID‐19 in spring 2020, seasonal migrant workers in agriculture were either unable to travel or faced unsafe conditions when performing “essential” field work. Some countries, like Germany, subsequently implemented policies to let them travel to work, and simultaneously, called on their residents to temporarily help farmers harvest crops. This paper explores the case of these temporary pandemic workers on Bavarian hops farms. Based on ethnographic research and interviews, this paper discusses the complex relationships between temporary pandemic workers, farmers, and the mostly absent seasonal workers in the exceptional moment of a global pandemic. We argue that in the state of exception of the Corona pandemic in Germany, biopolitical sorting highlighted migrant workers’ indispensability and disposability in a peculiar way: their short‐term replaceability through recruited temporary pandemic workers formed a self‐ascribed “parallel universe” or “Coronal bubble”. Through new encounters (with farmers) and hands‐on experiences in agricultural fields, the parallel universe often also meant uncomfortable insights into an unjust agricultural system. For those widely unexposed to agriculture, the state of exception revealed both the general and temporary biopolitics of seasonal migrant workers in agriculture and the key role they play for German agriculture as a whole.