Olive Harvest

In October 2024, olive trees were shaken at Mulinaccio.

Fieldhands in Italy often make less than 5 euro an hour. Some get paid by the day, often less than 25 euro. Some don’t have documentation. They are often housed without electricity and running water. Foremen move them from field to field. They have to pay for the transport and housing themselves, so they are often left with less than half their daily earnings. This system is inhumane, often connected to organized crime and well established in Italian agriculture.

The workers in these pictures are treated much better than many others. They earn more and are treated fairly. They can take breaks, have enough water and are able to communicate with each other even though they have come together from all over the world. Nobody was afraid to speak, spirits were high. They harvested around 1100 kilos of olives that day, which were pressed into approximately 110 liters of oil that same evening.

Photos: Michael Orth