A recent report conducted by Italy’s largest agricultural association Coldiretti, titled “Immigrants and Agriculture in the Tuscany Region”, reveals 53% of agricultural firms in Tuscany employ migrant workers.
According to the report, the demand for labour power for them has also increased. Currently, around 24,000 migrant workers are employed in the agricultural sector in Tuscany.
In addition, firms that have employed migrants for longer are more inclined to employ others. Meanwhile, large firms have the highest percentages of migrant workers. Fifty percent of firms employing those workers own over 21 hectares of land.
A total of 44% of all contracts between Italian firms and migrant workers are between six months and one year. 31% of agreements are from three to six months and 11% are from one to three months. Only 8% of contracts last less than one month.
The seasonal nature of the work in the fields accounts for these figures.
Related article: Meloni vows to put Italy first at Coldiretti event
Demetra Project
Coldiretti Tuscany coordinates another project called Demetra. The project has helped 277 migrants who are victims, or potential victims, of trafficking and exploitation in the agricultural sector. Alongside this, these people have also received information and training for work.
The Demetra project has also introduced a professional matchmaking process between immigrants and approximately 600 agricultural firms through the employment portal called ‘Work in Coldiretti’.
“Coldiretti’s role is, as always, to offer transparency and to enhance the value of what we produce,” the regional president of Coldiretti pointed out in this regard.
