Every year, one million migrants harvest Europe’s fields, picking the produce that fills supermarkets. That bounty of fruits and vegetables comes at a cost – as most of the harvesters live and work in precarious conditions.
Among them is Seydou from Mali. He harvests oranges in southern Italy from December to March – working without a contract. Whenever inspectors come, Seydou has to hide. “The legal documents... it’s a big problem for everyone,” he says.
Seydou’s story reflects the struggles of many harvesters. In Italy alone, there are between 400,000 to 500,000 migrant workers in the agricultural sector. The oranges in Calabria are mainly picked by migrants from African countries. Many of them have no residence papers or health insurance. They generally work without contracts and don’t even earn minimum wage.
Over in Spain, we meet Bahija from Morrocco. She picks strawberries in the Huelva region and says her employer retains two weeks of wages to keep pickers like her from taking time off. Such exploitation is common according to José Antonio, chairman of the Andalusian Farm Workers Union in Huelva province. “In Huelva, it becomes apparent that Europe is driven by markets, not people,” he says.
We also meet Kirti in Nepal as he sets out on his quest to get to Portugal. He borrows approximately €14,000 to be able to make the journey and pick blueberries. Despite having to leave his wife and young son behind, he says Portugal is a “dream destination for many Nepalese” because pickers receive papers and can work legally. But the entrance for Asian pickers is not regulated – not in Portugal nor in other European countries. Such gaps are filled by informal networks, which demand huge sums for their services, such as the one Kirti paid, and put the pickers into so-called “debt-bondage.”
“The Pickers” is a powerful journey through Europe’s fields. Meet the individuals who sustain our food systems, and discover the true human cost that keeps European supermarkets stacked with fruits and vegetables.
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