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Exploited and Invisible: The Harsh Realities of Seasonal Migrant Farmworkers in Turkey

woman sitting on a field. Photo.
Kurdish migrant farmworker hoeing sugarbeet fields in Central Turkey. Photo by: Sinem Kavak

A New LUCSUS study sheds light on the challenging lives of seasonal migrant farmworkers in Turkey. The workers, who are predominantly Kurds, Arabs, and Syrian refugees, face multiple layers of marginalization, including racial discrimination, state violence, chronic poverty, and forced displacement.

A new study by LUCSUS researcher Sinem Kavak, reveals the harsh realities faced by seasonal migrant farmworkers in Turkey, highlighting the exploitation of women through unpaid care work, low-paid farm labor, and traditional marital duties, all reinforced by community norms. This "double burden" on women is a critical issue, as their labor is essential yet undervalued. The exploitation extends to younger generations, with children often working to help sustain their families, perpetuating a cycle of generational labor exploitation. Traditional kinship networks and migration patterns further entrench these inequalities, making it difficult for these communities to escape the cycle of exploitation. 

The study calls for a fundamental rethinking of how labor and social reproduction are structured in agrarian contexts, emphasizing the need to address gender and generational inequalities to break the cycle of poverty and exploitation.

The exploitation of women’s labour and bodies in food systems isn’t just a local or cultural issue, it’s deeply tied to global food markets and their volatility.

– The exploitation of women’s labour and bodies in food systems isn’t just a local or cultural issue, it’s deeply tied to global food markets and their volatility. The gendered nature of this exploitation is reinforced by economic structures that prioritize profit over people. To achieve a just transition and social justice in food systems, we must recognize and address the critical role of social reproduction embedded in the economic activity, says Sinem Kavak.

Read the full study: Seasonal migrant farm workers at the nexus of production and social reproduction in contemporary Turkey

 

About the researcher

A woman, Sinem Kavak. Photo.

Sinem Kavak is a social scientist at Lund University Center for Sustainability Studies.  Her research areas are in fields of critical political economy and critical agrarian studies. She has works on agrifood value chains, rural livelihoods, and migrant farm labour.

Sinem Kavaks profile in Lund University research portal