The Governance of the Horticultural Supply Chain in the United Kingdom: A Source of Forced Labour?

Titolo Rivista ECONOMIA AGRO-ALIMENTARE
Autori/Curatori Johanna Katharina Schenner
Anno di pubblicazione 2018 Fascicolo 2018/1
Lingua Inglese Numero pagine 26 P. 29-54 Dimensione file 168 KB
DOI 10.3280/ECAG2018-001003
Il DOI è il codice a barre della proprietà intellettuale: per saperne di più clicca qui

Qui sotto puoi vedere in anteprima la prima pagina di questo articolo.

Se questo articolo ti interessa, lo puoi acquistare (e scaricare in formato pdf) seguendo le facili indicazioni per acquistare il download credit. Acquista Download Credits per scaricare questo Articolo in formato PDF

Anteprima articolo

FrancoAngeli è membro della Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA)associazione indipendente e non profit per facilitare (attraverso i servizi tecnologici implementati da CrossRef.org) l’accesso degli studiosi ai contenuti digitali nelle pubblicazioni professionali e scientifiche

Incidents of forced labour have been well documented in the horticultural sector in the United Kingdom (UK). This sort of human rights violation has been linked to fraudulent employment and recruitment practices by labour market intermediaries (LMIs). Legislation - such as the UK 2015 Modern Slavery Act - sentences fraudulent LMIs to life imprisonment when they are found guilty of having supplied workers to work under conditions of forced labour. However, while it is important to focus on the criminological aspects of forced labour, this article argues that it is necessary to adopt a broader perspective to fully understand the process in question; this is because LMIs do not operate in a vacuum, but are part of both product and labour supply chains. In fact, the governance of the horticultural supply chain in the UK may lead LMIs to propel their workers into conditions of extreme exploitation. This article begins by reviewing the rise of global supply chains and explains how the organisation of the horticultural supply chain leads to a prevalence of LMIs. The article then explores the concept of labour exploitation and its relationship to forced labour in the context of the UK food chain, identifying occurences where workers are subjected to a wide range of severe conditions, before shifting its focus to an empirical consideration of supply chain governance, based chiefly upon data gathered through 16 expert qualitative interviews with relevant parties.

Keywords:Food chain, horticulture, supply chains, (forced) labour, labour market intermediaries

Jel codes:J08, K31

  1. Gordon, J. (2015). Global labour recruitment in a supply chain context. International Labour Organization Working Paper. Geneva: International Labour Organization.
  2. Anderson, B. & Rogaly, B. (2005). Forced Labour and Migration to the UK. COMPAS and Trade Union Congress Working Paper. London: Trade Union Congress.
  3. Andrees, B., Nasri, A., & Swiniarski, P. (2015). Regulating labour recruitment to prevent human trafficking and to foster fair migration: Models, Challenges and Opportunities. International Labour Organization Working Paper. Geneva: International Labour Organization.
  4. Allain, J., Crane, A., LeBaron, G., & Behbahani L. (2013). Forced Labour’s Business Models and Supply Chains. Joseph Rowntree Foundation Working Paper. York: The Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
  5. Anti-Slavery (2017). What is bonded labour? -- Retrieved from: https://www.antislavery.org/slavery-today/bonded-labour/.
  6. Bales, K. (1999). Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Political Economy. Oakland: University of California Press.
  7. Baraldi, F., Castellini, A., & Pirazolli, C. (2007). The labour factor in agriculture: an analysis between three EU partners. -- Retrieved from: <http://newmedit.iamb.it/share/img_new_medit_articoli/338_44baraldi.pdf>.
  8. Barrientos, S.W. (2013). ‘Labour Chains’: Analysing the Role of Labour Contractors in Global Production Networks. Journal of Development Studies, 49(8), 1058-1071. DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2013.780040
  9. Barrientos, S.W. (2008). Contract labour: The ‘Achilles Hell’ of corporates codes in commercial value chains. Development and Change, 39(6), 977-90.
  10. Barrientos, S.W., Dolan C., & Tallontire A. (2003). A gendered value chain approach to codes of conduct in African horticulture. World Development, 31(9), 1511-26. DOI: 10.1016/S0305-750X(03)00110-4
  11. Bauer, J. (2014). The problem with corporate social responsibility. -- Retrieved from: https://www.opendemocracy.net/joanne-bauer/problem-with-corporate-socialresponsibility.
  12. Bhasin, K. (2013). In Bangladesh Factory Disasters, Auditing Process Fails Workers. -- Retrieved from: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/26/bangladesh-factory-disaster_n_3164040.html.
  13. Bitsch, V., Mair, S., Borucinska, M.M., & Schettler, C.A. (2017). Introduction of a Nationwide Minimum Wage: Challenges to Agribusinesses in Germany. Economia agro-alimentare/Food Economy, 19(1), 13-34. DOI: 10.3280/ECAG2017-001002
  14. Bogner, A., Littig B., & Menz, W. (2009). Interviewing Experts. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
  15. Brass, T. (2004). “Medieval working practices”? British agriculture and the return of the gangmaster. The Journal of Peasant Studies, 31(2), 313-40. DOI: 10.1080/0306615042000224339
  16. British Broadcasting Corporation (2016). Ioan Lacatus: Gangmaster jailed for human trafficking. -- Retrieved from: <http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northernireland-37586444>.
  17. British Broadcasting Corporation (2016a). Chicken catchers win claim against Maidstone gangmaster. -- Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-englandkent-36499526.
  18. British Broadcasting Corporation (2015). ‘Unlicensed gangmaster’ supplying Lincolnshire farms. -- Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-englandlincolnshire-34964746.
  19. British Broadcasting Corporation (2014a). Ivars Mezals and Juris Valujevs jailed for illegal gangmaster trade. -- Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/ukengland-30547691.
  20. British Broadcasting Corporation (2014). Child labour laws: A step back for advancing Bolivia? -- Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-30117126.
  21. Butt, R. (2006). Gangmaster jailed for 14 years. -- Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/mar/29/immigration.ukcrime.
  22. Chakrabortty, A., & Weale, A. (2016). Universities accused of ‘importing Sports Direct model’ for lecturers’ pay. -- Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/nov/16/universities-accused-of-importing-sports-direct-model-forlecturers-pay.
  23. Crane, A., LeBaron, G., Allain, J., & Behbahani, L. (2017). Governance gaps in eradicating forced labour: From global to domestic supply chains. Regulation & Governance, Early View.
  24. Davidov, G. (2004). Joint Employer Status in Triangular Employment Relationships. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 42(4), 727-746.
  25. Dolan, C., & Humphrey, J. (2000). Governance and Trade in Fresh Vegetables: The Impact of UK Supermarkets on the African Horticulture Industry. Journal of Development Studies, 37(2), 147-76. DOI: 10.1080/713600072
  26. Enright, B. (2013). (Re)considering New Agents: A Review of Labour Market Intermediaries within Labour Geography. Geography Compass, 7(4), 287-299.
  27. European Agency for Fundamental Rights (2015). Severe labour exploitation: workers moving within or into the European Union. European Agency for Fundamental Rights Working Paper. Vienna: European Agency for Fundamental Rights.
  28. Eurofound (2016). Regulation of labour market intermediaries and the role of social partners in preventing trafficking of labour. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions Working Paper. Dublin: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.
  29. Fontana, A., & Frey, J.H. (1994). Interviewing: The Art of Science. In N. a. Y.L. Denzin (Ed.), The Handbook of Qualitative Research (pp. 361-76). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
  30. Forced Labour Convention. (1930). Article 2. -- Retrieved from: http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C029.
  31. Gereffi, G., Humphrey, J., & Sturgeon, T. (2005). The governance of global value chains. Review of International Political Economy, 12(1), 78-104. DOI: 10.1080/09692290500049805
  32. Gross, A., & Aranha, A. (2017) Waitrose pulls its corned beef off shelves after Guardian reveals alleged slavery links. -- Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/jun/06/waitrose-pulls-its-corned-beefoff-shelves-after-guardian-reveals-alleged-slavery-links-brazil.
  33. Gurney, V. (2017). New guidance to ensure ethical recruitment of migrant workers. -- Retrieved from: https://www.ihrb.org/focus-areas/migrant-workers/newguidance-to-ensure-ethical-recruitment-of-migrant-workers.
  34. Hodal, K., Kelly, C., & Lawrence, F. (2014). Revealed: Asian slave labour producing prawns for supermarkets in US and UK. -- Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jun/10/supermarket-prawns-thailandproduced-slave-labour.
  35. Igata, M., Hendriksen, A., & Heijman, W. (2017). Agricultural Outsourcing: A Comparison between the Netherlands and Japan. -- Retrieved from: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/48332/2/Agricultural%20outsourcing.pdf.
  36. Inman, P. (2016). More than 900,000 UK workers now on zero-hours contracts. -- Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/08/uk-workerszero-hours-contracts-rise-tuc.
  37. Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (2017). Best Practice Guidance on Ethical Recruitment of Migrant Workers. Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility Working Paper. New York: Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.
  38. International Labour Organization (2018). Hazardous Work. -- Retrieved from: http://www.ilo.org/safework/areasofwork/hazardous-work/lang--en/index.htm.
  39. International Labour Organization (2012). ilo Indicators of Forced Labour. International Labour Organization Working Paper. Geneva: International Labour Organization.
  40. International Organization for Migration (2017). International Recruitment Integrity System. -- Retrieved from: http://iris.iom.int/.Jayaraman, S. (2014). Forked: A New Standard for American Dining. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  41. Kelly, A. (2014). Supermarket giants in Thailand for prawn slavery talks. -- Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jul/30/supermarkets-thailand-prawn-slavery-seafood.
  42. Kroon, B., & Paauwe, J. (2013). Structuration of precarious employment in economically constrained firms: the case of Dutch agriculture. Human Resource Management Journal, 24(1), 19-37. DOI: 10.1111/1748-8583.12024
  43. Lawrence, F. (2016). Court finds UK gangmaster liable for modern slavery victims. -- Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/jun/10/court-finds-uk-gangmaster-liable-for-modern-slavery-victims-kent-chickencatching-eggs.
  44. Lawrence, F. (2016a). Lithuanian gangmaster jailed in modern slavery and trafficking case. -- Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/22/lithuanian-gangmasters-jailed-in-modern-slavery-and-trafficking-case.
  45. LeBaron G., & Lister, J. (2015). Ethical Audits and the Supply Chains of Global Corporations. Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute Working Paper. Sheffield: Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute.
  46. Lerche, J. (2007). A Global Alliance against Forced Labour? Unfree Labour, Neoliberal Globalization and the International Labour Organizations. Journal of Agrarian Change, 7(4), 425-52.
  47. Littig, B. (2013). Expert Interviews. Methodology and Practice. -- Retrieved from: http://www.uta.fi/iasr/lectures/index/17.9.2013_Beate%20Littig_Tampere%20Expert-Interviews.pdf.
  48. Verité (2017). Responsible Recruitment. -- Retrieved from: https://www.verite.org/project/responsible-recruitment/.
  49. Webb, O. (2016). Zero hours contracts are driving university lecturers to despair. -- Retrieved from: https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/jm9ay3/ucu-zero-hourslecturers-striking-oscar-webb.
  50. Wright, C.F., & Kaine, S. (2015). Supply chains, production networks and employment relationships. Journal of Industrial Relations, 57(4), 483-501. DOI: 10.1177/0022185615589447
  51. Unodc (2015). The role of recruitment fees and abusive and fraudulent recruitment practices of recruitment agencies in trafficking of persons. United Nations Office for Drug and Crime Working Paper. Vienna: United Nations Office for Drug and Crime Working Paper.
  52. Underhill, E. & Rimmer, M., (2015). Layered vulnerability: Temporary Migrants in Australian horticulture. Journal of Industrial Relations, 58(5), 608-26. DOI: 10.1177/0022185615600510
  53. Strauss, K. (2013). Unfree Again: Social Reproduction, Flexible Labour Markets and the Resurgence of Gang Labour in the UK. Antipode, 45(1), pp. 180-197.
  54. Skrivankova, K. (2014). Forced Labour in the United Kingdom. Joseph Rowntree Foundation Working Paper. York: The Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
  55. Scott, S., Craig, G., & Geddes, A. (2012). Experiences of Forced Labour in the UK Food Industry. Joseph Rowntree Foundation Working Paper. York: The Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
  56. Scott, S. (2013). Migrant-Local Hiring Queues in the UK Food Industry. Population, Space and Place, 19(5), 459-71.
  57. Scott, S. (2018). Labour exploitation and work-based harm. Bristol: Policy Press.
  58. Schenner, J.K. (2017). The Gangmaster Licensing Authority: an Institution Able to Tackle Labour Exploitation? Economia Agro-alimentare/Food Economy, 19(3). DOI: 10.3280/ECAG2017-003004
  59. Sainsbury’s. (2016). Modern Slavery Statement. -- Retrieved from: http://www.jsainsbury.co.uk/~/media/Files/S/Sainsburys/documents/Sainsburys_Modern_Slavery_Statement_2016_17.pdf.
  60. Ruggie, J.G. (2013). Just Business: Multinational Corporations and Human Rights. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
  61. Rogaly, B. (2008). Intensification of workplace regimes in British horticulture: the role of migrant workers. Population, Space and Place, 14(6), 497-510.
  62. Punch, K. (1998). Introduction to Social Research. Oakland: Sage.
  63. Phillips, N. (2013). Unfree Labour and Adverse Incorporation in the Global Economy: Comparative Perspectives on Brazil and India. Economy and Society, 42(2), 171-196. DOI: 10.1080/03085147.2012.718630
  64. Pagnamenta, R. (2013). Collapsed clothes factory in Bangladesh passed Primark safety checks. -- Retrieved from: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/collapsedclothes-factory-in-bangladesh-passed-primark-safety-checks-s3jd27j0gwg.
  65. Osce (2009). A Summary of Challenges on Addressing Human Trafficking for Labour Exploitation in the Agricultural Sector in the OSCE Region. Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Working Paper. Vienna: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
  66. Monaghan, A. (2017). Record 910,000 UK workers on zero-hours contracts. -- Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/03/zero-hourscontracts-uk-record-high.
  67. McGrath, S. (2013). Fuelling Global Production Networks with Slave Labour? Migrant Sugar Cane Workers in The Brazilian Ethanol gpn. Geoforum, 44, 32-43.
  68. Marks & Spencer (2015). M&S Modern Slavery Statement 2015/16. – Retrieved from: https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/documents/plan-a-our-approach/mns-modern-slavery-statement-june2016.pdf.
  69. Maloni, M.J., & Brown M.E. (2006). Corporate Social Responsibility in the Supply Chain: An Application in the Food Industry. Journal of Business Ethics, 68(1), 35-52.
  70. MacKerron, C. (2008). Prius Envy and the Greening of Wal-Mart: A Blind Spot for the Human Cost. -- Retrieved from: https://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2008/06/29/prius-envy-and-greening-wal-mart-blind-spot-human-cost.

  • A systematic literature review of modern slavery in supply chain management: State of the art, framework development and research opportunities Vanja Strand, Maryam Lotfi, Anthony Flynn, Helen Walker, in Journal of Cleaner Production 140301/2024 pp.140301
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.140301
  • What knowledge is required to grow food? A framework for understanding horticulture's skills ‘crisis’ Hannah Pitt, in Journal of Rural Studies /2021 pp.59
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.05.001
  • Empirical business research on modern slavery in supply chains: A systematic review Natalia Szablewska, Krzysztof Kubacki, in Journal of Business Research 113988/2023 pp.113988
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113988

Johanna Katharina Schenner, The Governance of the Horticultural Supply Chain in the United Kingdom: A Source of Forced Labour? in "ECONOMIA AGRO-ALIMENTARE" 1/2018, pp 29-54, DOI: 10.3280/ECAG2018-001003