Enhancing employment conditions for migrant seasonal workers : assessing consumer preferences for "fair-labour" apples

Criticisms over labour practices in agricultural production often target the living and working conditions of migrant seasonal workers. This article assesses consumer preferences for apples produced under social conditions exceeding current legal standards. The analysis is based on a discrete choice experiment (DCE) with a sample of 204 German consumers, who were asked to choose among domestic 'fair-labour' apples and standard apples. The former differed in six attributes describing the social conditions facing migrant seasonal workers on German farms. A mixed logit and latent class model were used to analyse the data. The predicted probability of choosing a 'fair-labour' apple was 85 per cent. Consumers valued higher minimum wages, the inclusion of migrant workers in Germany's social security system, and bonus payments for work on Sundays and public holidays. Improved accommodation and limits on the maximum permissible weekly working hours were considered less important. The low-price elasticity suggests that farmers could recoup a large share of the extra costs involved in providing enhanced living and working conditions for their workers.