We all know about it but would rather not see or hear anything. I have read somewhere Spain supplies fresh fruits and vegs to about 75% of Europe in the winter. And before Brexit the foreign work force in the UK’s agricultural sector accounted for 75% (fruit pickers, farm workers etc).
Where I live we also have this kind of exploitation but the scandals only come to light when there are big trials after journalists have exposed the farms.
Thanks, farmers and fruit pickers! But please, treat them as human beings! They don’t deserve peanuts for wages and squalid tents to live in.
We know a couple farmers and have seen them at work with their employees, vendors, and crews. They’ve got dirt in their boots and treat everyone the same way they treat us “civilians”.
I’m always so sad to see and hear about how little we do to help these folks who are responsible for getting food on our table every day. They do back-breaking labor, and get very little in return. The more we can do and report on the conditions these folks have to work and live in, hopefully we can bring about some real change for them.
That was a good read; thanks. An interesting parallel (not sure that’s the right expression) to what happens where I live, very near agricultural areas in Northern California. Hard to keep the politics out, but where I am, how people feel treated seems to have a lot to do with being “documented”. Is that true in Europe as well?
Also , can I ask how folks in Europe feel about The Guardian?
Around here, many migrant/seasonal workers come from eastern Europe and other EU member states (Bulgaria, Romania, Poland etc). There are probably undocumented illegals from other countries as well.
The problem is many of them don’t register, accept low wages in order to avoid paying taxes. This is where it goes wrong. When something goes wrong they can’t sue, they can’t complain.
The more we can do and report on the conditions these folks have to work and live in, hopefully we can bring about some real change for them.
