Abusive working conditions endemic in Spain’s strawberry farms, report claims

Seasonal workers of Moroccan origin pick strawberries in a greenhouse in the area between Palos de la Frontera and Moguer. Photograph: Susana Girón/The Guardian

Abusive conditions are endemic in parts of Spain’s fruit sector, a new report alleges, with workers telling the Guardian they have been regularly underpaid and forced to live in dilapidated shacks.

During the winter, at least 60% of strawberries eaten in the UK are likely to be from vast farms across the south-west Spanish province of Huelva. In 2020, the UK imported €310m (£272m) worth of the fruit from the Andalucia region, of which 91% is believed to be grown in Huelva.