EL EJIDO
El Ejido is a city lost in the midst of 40,000 hectares of industrial greenhouses, all tucked away on the coast of southern Spain producing much of the cheap supermarket vegetables for the rest of Europe. The combination of the climate in Almeria, coupled with intensive growing means that inexpensive cucumbers, peppers and especially tomatoes are available to Europeans all year round. Most of the farmers in the area rely on foreign workers (often from Morocco, Sub-Saharan Africa, or eastern Europe) for the planting and harvesting of their produce. Many choosing to employ illegal workers whom they can pay lower wages, and work harder.
But over the last few years the economic crisis along with increased foreign competition have taken their toll on El Ejido, and there is less and less work. It’s estimated that there are close to 200,000 foreign workers living in the area, far more people than there are jobs. Some workers shift with the growing seasons, moving throughout Andalusia with the various harvests (olives in Jaén, strawberries in Huelva) but most are stuck, waiting, hoping for work.
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Photo: Greenhouse Gates//Video: Invernaderos
