Realized on assignment for the AVSI Foundation

Agricultural knowledge, which is preserved by family-run businesses, is handed down to refugees in the Campania region, in Italy.

Around the towns of Padula, Santa Marina and Atena Lucana, in the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National park, the “F.I.O.R.I. in the field” project supports migrants with a contribution for socio-professional integration and the prevention of exploitation in the sector. Over the last 10 years, there has been a significant increase in the number of migrants being exploited and marginalised, including through forced labour, in Italy. The agriculture and food industry are among the economic sectors mostly exposed to the risks of irregular work and according to the latest data collected by the Federation of Agro-Industrial Workers (FLAI), out of 430.000 irregular workers, over 100.000 are victims of the so-called “Caporalato” phenomenon, a form of illegal intermediation and exploitation of migrant workers that violates minimum wage requirements and imposes inhumane working conditions. “Blooming flowers” highlights the stories of a number of refugees who were recently selected for an internship for “Innovative Training and Entrepreneurial Orientation in the agricultural field for migrants with international protection”, a project funded by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in Italy and implemented by the NGO AVSI, together with the Tertium Millennium Cooperative of Teggiano, in the province of Salerno. It offers agricultural workers the opportunity to take part in training courses, gain experience in selected companies and subsequently have the chance to be hired. “Blooming flowers” underlines how a project that links fragile people, NGOs, the government, businesses and local associations (aimed at supporting migrants’ rights in the agri-food sector) can create a new path for professional growth and dignified working conditions.

BLOOMING FLOWERS (2021)