The labour factor in agriculture: comparison, analysis and actions introduced in some EU countries to boost competitiveness in the primary sector

A correct approach to labour research must consider the different levels of governance: regional, national and supranational (e.g., EU). The central themes for discussion, the order of priority and relevant decisions made arise first and foremost in worldwide contexts such as WTO and ILO (International Labour Organization) conferences, the United Nations, the Kyoto Conference, etc. If political decision making is done at a world level, it follows that the scope of studies and responses should be broader than just local-scale. Of course, there are governance responsibilities at every level, but actions must be coherent with an overall decision-making network. On the basis of the above considerations, we decided to perform a comparative analysis between three EU partners: Germany, Spain and Italy. This was not a random selection: we chose Germany since we consider it still to be a leading country within the European economy, and innovative in certain of the employment policy instruments that it has adopted. The comparison with Spain, on the other hand, is logical from an agricultural point of view, given that it is Italy’s main competitor in the sector (especially for fruit). To sum up, the main objectives of this enquiry were:  to outline and compare the main characteristics of the agricultural workforce in the three European partner countries studied (numbers, average wages, regulations, …), without losing sight of each country’s specific productive setting, within which the workforce and the legislators operate;  to closely examine the evolving course of policies for the fixed-term workforce (especially in the agricultural sector) developed and applied in the three countries, and dominant trends in social and political ideas in this regard;  finally, based on the information gathered and examined in the above two points, to try to outline the possible future evolution of the management of the fixed-term labour factor in the agricultural sector on the world market, so as to propose some possible strategic approaches to the matter, with particular attention to the Italian situation, with the aim of improving the competitive capacity of farm businesses.