5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

In an era marked by climate crises, restricted human mobility, and the need to sustainably feed a world population of 8 billion people, seasonal farm work emerges as a central subject of debate in horticultural food production. Horticulture has long relied on the labour provided by seasonal workers, many of whom are sourced from overseas through state-sponsored temporary migration programs that seek to lower labour costs and address labour shortages, while at the same time imposing restrictions on the migrants’ agency and permanence.

Seasonal migrant work reveals the complexities and tensions inherent to contemporary horticulture and human mobility. While it can offer economic opportunities for migrants and countries, it also produces precarity, often leaving migrant workers marginalised, without access to labour rights and welfare protections. Seasonal migrant work also highlights broader contrasts between global agribusiness and local farming, global exports and local food needs, and the facilitation and restriction of international mobility.

This session invites papers examining the realities and futures of horticultural seasonal farm work worldwide through the lens of justice. We invite papers addressing the interrelations between seasonal farm work and topics such as decent work, international development, human rights, the social impacts of globalised horticultural networks, local advocacy efforts, and endeavours towards equitable solutions. By promoting interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration, this session aims to explore pathways towards a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future for seasonal farm workers within the complex networks of global food production.

Proposed format: Regular session, five 20-minute presentations.