Commentary

The last half-century has seen at least two major trends in agricultural production. The first is the globalization of agri-food production and distribution. Specifically, free trade agreements and advancements in long-distance transport and refrigeration gave agri-food firms the ability to supply global food chains year round (Watts and Goodman, 1997). This has led to a concentration of power among global retailers who have been able to appropriate a greater share of the value of fresh produce. Faced with lower profit margins due to this concentration, growers have sought out workers who are willing to work under intense working conditions, at low wages, and for whatever period of time is demanded of them (Preibisch, 2010). This flexibilization of labour is the second trend to occur in agricultural production. Many agri-food firms have mirrored strategies in the industrial sector by hiring temporary workers on short-term contracts (Raynolds, 1994), and relying on women, migrants and minorities to meet labour needs (Collins, 1993). ¹