Migrant Workers in Sugarcane Mills: A Study of Social Networks and Recruitment Intermediaries in Brazil

Abstract

The growing demand for ethanol has resulted in an expansion of the production of sugarcane in Brazil. Several studies have reported the degrading conditions and labour that have resulted in negative physical and psychological impacts, leaving workers with signs of illness. This has helped to demystify the image of ethanol as a ‘clean’ energy source. In spite of the increasing use of mechanized processes, the harvesting of sugarcane is still predominantly a manual process. This paper analyzes the manner in which the mills use kinship and friendship networks among workers to recruit and select migrants, who originate from peasant farming areas mainly located in the North-eastern region of Brazil. These social networks have a double face: on the one hand, they make possible the strategies of domination by mills over migrant workers; on the other, they establish worker support and mutual assistance practices during the periods they are far from their families.