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After Covid-19, will seasonal migrant agricultural workers in Europe be replaced by robots?

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  • Cristina Mitaritonna
  • Lionel Ragot

Abstract

The covid-19 crisis and the ensuing closure of borders has profoundly affected the mobility of migrant seasonal workers. As some European agricultural sectors highly depend on these workers, governments in EU countries have urgently adopted different strategies to avoid disruptions due to their absence. Alternatives seeking to cope without this experienced foreign seasonal labour force, pose two difficulties: their effectiveness is not guaranteed and/or they are accompanied by a significant increase in production costs and therefore in prices. As this large-scale temporary shock may lead to longer-term structural changes in the agricultural sectors concerned, we draw on the UK’s post-Brexit vote experience to discuss alternatives to foreign migrant seasonal workers. The covid-19 pandemic may well accelerate the adoption of robots for picking fruits and vegetables in the EU fields.

Suggested Citation

  • Cristina Mitaritonna & Lionel Ragot, 2020. "After Covid-19, will seasonal migrant agricultural workers in Europe be replaced by robots?," CEPII Policy Brief 2020-33, CEPII research center.
    • Handle: RePEc:cii:cepipb:2020-33
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    Cited by:

    1. Friedrich Schneider & Mangirdas Morkunas & Erika Quendler, 2021. "Measuring the Immeasurable: The Evolution of the Size of Informal Economy in the Agricultural Sector in the EU-15 up to 2019," CESifo Working Paper Series 8937, CESifo.
    2. Dionysis Bochtis & Lefteris Benos & Maria Lampridi & Vasso Marinoudi & Simon Pearson & Claus G. Sørensen, 2020. "Agricultural Workforce Crisis in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-13, October.
    3. Tougeron, Kévin & Hance, Thierry, 2021. "Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on apple orchards in Europe," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    4. Jacek Maśniak & Andrzej Jędruchniewicz, 2024. "Foreign Trade as a Channel of Pandemic Transmission to the Agricultural Sector in Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-14, August.
    5. Tomas Baležentis & Mangirdas Morkūnas & Agnė Žičkienė & Artiom Volkov & Erika Ribašauskienė & Dalia Štreimikienė, 2021. "Policies for Rapid Mitigation of the Crisis’ Effects on Agricultural Supply Chains: A Multi-Criteria Decision Support System with Monte Carlo Simulation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-31, October.
    6. Kamal Vatta & Shruti Bhogal & Adam S. Green & Heena Sharma & Cameron A. Petrie & Sandeep Dixit, 2022. "COVID-19 Pandemic-Induced Disruptions and Implications for National Food Security and Farm Incomes: Farm-Level Evidence from Indian Punjab," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-13, April.
    7. Lioutas, Evagelos D. & Charatsari, Chrysanthi, 2021. "Enhancing the ability of agriculture to cope with major crises or disasters: What the experience of COVID-19 teaches us," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    8. Marie McAuliffe & Jenna Blower & Ana Beduschi, 2021. "Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Migration and Mobility: Transnational Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-13, November.
    9. Dardonville, Manon & Bockstaller, Christian & Villerd, Jean & Therond, Olivier, 2022. "Resilience of agricultural systems: biodiversity-based systems are stable, while intensified ones are resistant and high-yielding," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Migrant Seasonal Workers; Agriculture; Covid-19; Labour Shortage;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J20 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - General
    • Q10 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - General

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