There are over two million migrant agricultural workers in Europe. They are an essential part of our food system. But this work often leads them into modern slavery: unacceptable working and living conditions, pay without a minimum wage, inadequate access to healthcare and the violation of their basic freedoms and human rights.

THE PICKERS is an 80-minute documentary that follows the experiences of six of these migrant agricultural workers in four European countries where fruit and vegetables are produced - oranges in Italy, blueberries in Portugal, strawberries in Spain, and olives in Greece. What we see in the film adds a bitter taste to our fruit and vegetables, which are produced in a system that is filled with exploitation at many levels. We all want affordable fresh produce, but THE PICKERS are paying the true cost of our cheap food for us.

The Pickers documentary and the people whose story it follows have inspired THE PICKERS Campaign, which aims to drive change in the European food system to eliminate the exploitation of migrant workers. The campaign is run by Film & Campaign who are longstanding members of The Melting Pot.

Join us to Meet THE PICKERS and for a post-screening discussion where we look at 10 essential guarantees for migrant workers, discuss the key themes of the film and look at systemic solutions to eliminate the exploitation that is currently part of our food.

Discussion panel

Margaret McCallum, Head of Commercial and Procurement at TPXimpact

TPXimpact is a purpose-driven, B-Corp certified company that specialises in delivering digital transformation, primarily within the public sector. The organisation is committed to creating positive social impact through its work, leveraging technology and innovative solutions to improve public services and enhance the lives of citizens. TPXimpact's mission is to drive meaningful change by collaborating with clients to design and implement digital strategies that are sustainable, inclusive, and effective. In her role, Margaret is responsible for ensuring the company's adherence to Modern Slavery legislation. Her deep understanding of the issue and the dangers faced by those impacted has inspired her to become a volunteer first responder for modern slavery victims.

Evangeline (Evie) Simkins, Senior Program Manager, Verité

Evie is a Senior Program Manager at Verité, an award-winning, not-for-profit social enterprise with a mission to ensure workers work under fair, safe, and legal conditions. In her 10 years at Verité, Evie has assessed and advised hundreds of businesses, including Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders, on the labor and human rights harms in their operations and supply chains, specializing in advising companies in electronics manufacturing, agriculture, and seafood. Her work focuses on responsible recruitment of workers, risks of forced labor, and how companies can secure meaningful remedy for workers. Evie has also contributed to research and advocacy work on improving protections for migrant workers in the Gulf region and Europe. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology and French & Francophone Studies from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and has lived and worked in the US, UK, and France.

Catriona Fraser Migrant Workers Researcher at Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

Catriona is the Migrant Workers Researcher for the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Her research aims to strengthen the rights of migrant workers in global supply chains and across labour migration corridors by increasing corporate transparency in key sectors, improving corporate accountability for alleged abuses through research, analysis, and stakeholder engagement, and amplifying the voices and experiences of migrant workers. She has a MSc (Dist.) in Migration Studies from the University of Oxford, where her research focused on women migrant rights in Europe and the US. Prior to joining the Resource Centre, Catriona worked as Research and Impact lead of an education consultancy and ran the organisation’s charity. She also worked for the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva, and has interned as a journalist and photographer in Bolivia. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Oxford in English Language & Literature.