Work in transition: standard and sustainability in the Italian organic food value chain

This thesis is the outcome of three years of PhD research and several months of ethnographic and qualitative fieldwork in rural areas of Ragusa and in the wholesale markets of Bologna (CAAB) and Padua (MAAP). It explores the transformations in the agri-food supply chain, focusing on the industrial organic sector. The research investigates the evolution of relationships between different actors and segments of the supply chain, analyzing labour conditions within the broader context of the green transition. Using a supply chain approach and adopting the labour regime framework (Baglioni et al., 2023), it examines changes at both meso and micro levels, situating them within the Corporate Environmental Food Regime (Friedmann, 2005). It highlights how sustainability narratives often align with the "conventionalization" of organic agriculture (Buck et al., 1994), driven by large agribusinesses that use private certifications to consolidate power and marginalize smaller producers. The research identifies key dynamics of restructuring: increasing control by large distributors, the decline of traditional wholesale markets in favour of centralized logistics hubs, and the growing asymmetries within the supply chain. The ethnographic approach uncovers how these shifts affect labour conditions on the ground, especially for migrant workers. It shows how social differentiations—particularly along lines of gender and race—shape labour dynamics and the reproduction of the workforce. Furthermore, the thesis examines the pivotal role of intermediaries and the contradictions of green transition policies, which, while promoting sustainability, often neglect the economic vulnerabilities of labourers. Finally, it documents various forms of resistance enacted by workers, emphasizing their strategies to access rights and services in a context of systemic marginalization. These findings call for a more nuanced understanding of the intersection between labour, sustainability, and power, and contribute to broader debates on justice and resistance in contemporary agri-food systems.