Agriculture emergency: employing unemployed, seasonal or foreigners?

Italian model also in agriculture? Contrary to what one can imagine in this case the program does not translate as "Italians first", but in its opposite, “foreigners first”. Even if in truth it is not presented in this way by the Ministry of Agricultural Policies, but it would be "improper" if it were; the translation is all ours. The question is this: after the health emergency for Covid 19, as we know, a chasm has opened in the countryside across Europe: at least 300 workers in Germany, 200 in France and 250 in Italy are missing to pick fruit and vegetables. If a solution is not found in the next few days, at least 40% of the Italian collection is at risk, as Coldiretti claims. A disaster.

And so we come to the various “models”. France and Germany, in addition to having extended the residence permits for immigrants already used in the past (the Germans closed the agreements with Poland, Bulgaria and Ukraine, equal to 80 workers), are moving towards using the local workforce as well. Italy has already extended the permits until 15 June for non-EU immigrants, but has not yet managed to reach an agreement with the country that supplies us with the largest number of labourers, Romania. And yet on the subject of "local unemployed" she appears lukewarm.

At least to read the statement of the Minister Teresa Bellanova in response to the Piedmontese councilors, Elena Chiorino and Marco Protopapa, both of the M5stelle, who put forward the proposal. "But because the government, in addition to thinking about foreign workers, does not consider involving in particular Italians who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus, and who have no protection, and also those who receive the basic income, but who are they inactive?” they wondered and asked. Just like France and Germany.

“The French and German models are interesting models – replied the minister – but I have an ambition: the Italian one. We need to ensure that many seasonal workers from other sectors, such as tourism and catering, can look at agricultural work as an income opportunity". In short we need to involve the other seasonal workers in the agricultural supply chain, who maybe work as waiters or guides or something else, instead of committing themselves to looking for laborers in the lists of those who currently have no job. At least this can be understood from the minister's response. And the project, it must be admitted, is truly "ambitious".

In this way, all those who work in the summer could be stitched together in a single program, from tomato pickers to those who bring it to the table, to give a trivial example. We can only wish her much success, although we don't see why this alternative project to using the local unemployed is being considered. One could do both. We will see. In the meantime, the only subject on which one cannot have different opinions is that time is short. The French have already obtained 60 responses by their unemployed who have declared themselves ready to work in the fields; and also in Germany each land is organizing the recovery of the local workforce to be diverted to the collection, to be added to that of the immigrants.

While Italy, as mentioned, has not yet reached an agreement with Romania on the health safety of the over 100 laborers we employ in seasonal harvesting, a third of those needed. The tepid answer on the part of the minister it is possible to hide the concern of participating, unwillingly, in an anti-foreigner campaign disguised as a common good. But frankly we do not think this is the case. The unemployed are all the same. Otherwise there is a risk of reverse racism, against one's own country.