Rome calls for action against caporalato labor exploitation

Officials in Rome highlighted caporalato as a structural criminal system in Italy’s agri‑food sector, not merely an emergent problem. They urged greater transparency, effective inspections and shared responsibility across the value chain to protect vulnerable farm workers and producers. The speakers referenced the 2016 Law 199 on illegal labor agencies, calling for its full application and the use of the “coherence index” to match farm size, output and labor hours. They noted that PNRR funds intended to eliminate worker housing ghettos have been under‑utilised, and that inadequate collective transport and legal placement of labor force leave migrants exposed, citing the recent killing of four migrant workers in Amendolara as a stark reminder. Representatives from Roma Capitale, FederBio and Slow Food Italia stressed the need for an alliance of institutions, consumers, producers and distributors to prevent exploitation rather than merely punish it after the fact.