Andalusian interprofessional fresh produce association Hortyfruta has reacted angrily to a report published in the UK’s Guardian newspaper last week that contained accusations that some growers in the Spanish region were using “modern day slaves”.

In an article and video report titled ‘Salad slaves : Who really provides our vegetables’, which was published on the eve of Fruit Logistica 2011, the newspaper claimed to have uncovered evidence that abuses by some producers met the UN’s official definition of modern-day slavery.

The video report showed footage of migrant workers from Africa living in shacks made of old boxes and plastic sheeting, without sanitation or access to drinking water, who claimed they were being routinely paid less than half the legal minimum wage in Spain.

However, in a letter sent to the Guardian, which has yet to be published, Hortyfruta hit back at the accusations and accused the newspaper of “seriously damaging one of the sectors of Andalusia’s economy that is generating more jobs than any other at a time of crisis”.

“The image shown in the video is completely biased and tendencious and does not show the complete reality of immigrants that work in this part of Spain,” the association said.

“Hundreds of thousands of immigrants, many of them employed in agricultural work, live in Andalusia, helping generate wealth not only for Europe, but moreover stability and development opportunities in their countries of origin.”

Hortyfruta said that an estimated 38,500 immigrants currently work in Andalusia’s fresh produce sector – around a third of the total workforce – all of which it claimed were legally registered with Spanish social security.

In response to what it called the Guardian’s “sensationalist” report, the association said it had started work to “counteract the biased picture” painted by the article, explaining that it had also written to five leading UK grocery retailers, as well as the newspaper.

Hortyfruta said its managing director, María José Pardo, had also met with the regional government of Almería to discuss means of “putting a stop” to the allegations through the publication of industry facts and figures.

Topics