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[BUSINESS] · Brazil · 7 sources

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Brazil fruit industry faces exploitation claims in billion-dollar sector

fruit industry labor exploitation agribusiness rural workers Brazil

A study titled 'Dinâmicas do Trabalho Assalariado Rural', conducted by Oxfam Brasil and Molina Consulting, reveals that Brazil's billion-dollar fruit industry is sustained by the exploitation of rural workers. While Brazil is the world's third-largest fruit producer, with mango, grape, and apple chains generating R$ 15 billion annually, the research highlights systemic labor rights violations.

Key findings include seasonal workers facing shifts exceeding 16 hours a day and exposure to extreme weather, such as temperatures as low as 8 or 9 degrees Celsius below zero in the Serra Gaúcha region. In the Northeast's mango sector, workers reportedly face pressure to limit water and bathroom breaks to meet production targets. The study also notes chronic omissions in reporting work-related illnesses caused by physical exhaustion, extreme cold, and pesticide exposure.

The research identifies insufficient farm inspections as a primary factor allowing these abuses to persist. Furthermore, data from 2024 shows high turnover in the Vale do São Francisco and Serra Gaúcha regions, where only 39.2% of the 117,341 formal hires in these fruit chains remained active by December.

Entities

Molina Consulting · Oxfam Brasil · Serra Gaúcha · Vale do São Francisco · Viviana Santiago

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Sources

Oxfam revela: exploração de trabalhadores na fruticultura [paraquemdoar.org]
Exploração de trabalhadores rurais sustenta fruticultura [portalrbn.com.br]
Exploração de trabalhadores rurais sustenta fruticultura [gazeta24h.com]
Fruticultura bilionária se sustenta com exploração de trabalhadores, diz estudo [www.brasilemfolhas.com.br]
Exploração de trabalhadores rurais sustenta fruticultura bilionária - Blog do Sidney Silva [sidneysilva.com.br]
Exploração laboral sustenta setor bilionário da fruticultura brasileira [saobentoemfoco.com.br]
Fruticultura movimenta R$ 15 bilhões, mas enfrenta denúncias de exploração [cenariomt.com.br]