Brazil is responsible for a large part of global orange juice production. While the coronavirus crisis is paralysing half the planet, the pickers toiling in the endless rows of orange trees in the state of São Paulo are sliding further into precarity. The research we conducted just prior to the start of the pandemic brings to light the deplorable working conditions of those harvesting oranges for Louis Dreyfus Company, the Swiss-based orange juice trader...

Our investigation revealed the precarious working conditions of the pickers and the opacity of the sector... Moreover, numerous testimonies indicate that international labour standards, such as the right to just and favourable remuneration or the right to safe and healthy working conditions, are systematically violated by LDC’s suppliers...

Whereas LDC guarantees the legal minimum wage to its employees, even for those who don’t meet productivity targets, the same cannot necessarily be said for its suppliers... Social security contributions are largely absent, and some pickers confirm having been paid “under the table” for several weeks. They often choose not to claim their rights or to denounce exploitative working conditions because they fear losing their jobs...