Reinforcing protective structures against labor exploitation of seasonal workers. Social innovation research in South Tyrol

Abstract

This case study offers insights into the fragile position of seasonal workers, who occupy the most precarious roles in the production chain, even in advanced and prosperous agricultural systems, such as in the autonomous province of South Tyrol, the focus of this study. Social innovation research approaches in this case functioned as a catalyst of social change (Moulaert et al., 2017) by connecting and activating local stakeholders around labor exploitation prevention. The action research project FARm involved stakeholders from major public, private, and third-sector organizations related to agricultural labor, in four territories of Northern Italy with the goal of strengthening preventive measures against labor exploitation. Among protective factors, this case study shows that small farms embedded in rural communities appear protective against labor exploitation. Their survival is facilitated by generous public investment and collaborative structures. However, cross-border seasonal workers still face challenges of geographic, social, cultural and linguistic isolation, that enhances the risk of exploitative conditions being undetected, also due to inaccessibility of reporting channels and transnational recruitment processes. Moreover, the short length of stay and the widespread informality in labor relations result in undeclared or partially declared work, which reduces employer accountability. Social innovation research approaches facilitated dialogue between organizations with different interests, which resulted in a joint declaration of intent, and in implemented synergic strategies to reinforce labor exploitation prevention.