From farm worker and labor migrant to robot?

A major fire a few weeks ago in The Hague once again brought the housing of migrant workers into the news. Not for the first time. This time, the municipality of The Hague had to have a word with the municipality of Westland, it was announced bravely.

Last year, the corona crisis was the reason for attention to housing. Former politician Emile Roemer led a 'boosting team' that came up with proposals. The quality of housing must be improved.

Report from 1954
It reminds me of a report from a little further back in time. In 1954 the LEI published a study on the position of farm workers. In response to this, the Zeeland National Agriculture Consultant Van Beekom warned the farmers: 'Special attention should be paid to the housing of the agricultural labourer. Electricity and water pipes must be considered part of the normal equipment of the farm worker's house.'

The LEI report was based on research in 59 municipalities. From Wildervank to Zaamslag. The sandy areas kept the trio Maris, Visser and Rijneveld out of it. There, the two authors had only just completed a major study into the small-farming issue. After about 2 pages of tables and descriptions, you can conclude that there were several reasons why the profession of agricultural worker was no longer considered attractive.

Low social status
It wasn't just the pay. Low social status (unskilled labour), seasonal unemployment, limited promotion opportunities and greater financial capacity to educate children have all contributed to the perception that many of the 200.000 farm workers or their children have a better envisioned a future outside of agriculture.

Farmers were not aware of this problem of social status, as views on it varied widely between farmers, the farm workers themselves, and what the researchers called the "environmental experts." They had all 3 groups rank a number of occupations by status. The shopkeeper came first in everyone's mind. Farm workers soon became permanent employees of the farmers, even before the new profession of driver.

But the agricultural worker dangled at the bottom of the list, just ahead of the unskilled factory worker, among the agricultural workers themselves as well as among the social connoisseurs. No wonder some went to industry not only for higher wages, but also to escape the patriarchal relations in the countryside.

Duty of care phased out
Seasonal workers who did not belong to the permanent core and who did not 'winter' on the arable farm had it even worse. According to the authors, this profession arose in the 19th century when a capitalist concept reached the countryside and farmers relaxed their duty of care for personnel and the rural economy. In the Northern Netherlands in particular, this led to sharp contradictions that can still be found in political relations here and there.

Incidentally, the LEI study was not only motivated by empathy for the fortunes of the farmhand and other farm workers. In the preface to the study, legal equality with other workers and the recognition of the role of the trade unions were already seen as a nice achievement. Rather, it was the farmer's position that was worrisome: 'In various regions, there is a chronic or periodic shortage of labor' and 'Now many people are oppressed by the specter of increasing labor shortages'.

Robotization the future
However the peasants refurbished their dilapidated farm workers' homes with water and electricity, the farm worker would eventually disappear, at least until the migrant worker arrived. The 'motorization and mechanization' solved the problem. I suspect history is going to repeat itself. The housing of migrant workers has to improve for social reasons, but robotization will determine the future of the personnel provision.

Krijn J. Poppe

Krijn Poppe worked for almost 40 years as an economist at LEI and Wageningen UR and now holds a number of advisory and management positions. For Boerenbusiness he dives into his bookcase and discusses current developments on the basis of studies that have become classic.

© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.