Questions & Answers
Here we present all the intended questions and answers.
What is the difference between employed pickers and free pickers?
It is important to distinguish between employed berry pickers organized by an employer and free berry pickers. A company with employed pickers is required to comply with applicable labor laws. There is also a specific collective agreement where Livs is the union counterpart for employed wild berry pickers.
These laws and agreements do not apply to free pickers. Companies purchasing berries cannot impose requirements on how, when, or where berries are picked – regarding these aspects, pickers should be free. This freedom comes at a price for the free picker. They have no guaranteed salary and are not covered by any insurance.
How dependent are Swedish berry companies on labor immigration?
Labor immigration is absolutely crucial for the supply of Swedish berries. Without these seasonal workers, large parts of the berry industry would not function. We are simply dependent on labor immigration.
How many berry pickers does the Swedish berry industry use annually?
Since there are two systems for berry picking in Sweden, it is normally only possible to specify the number of employed, organized pickers. This number has varied over the last five years from 1,200 to nearly 7,000 workers.
In 2024, the number of granted work permits for berry pickers dropped significantly compared to the previous year. According to the Swedish Migration Agency, only 1,272 applications were approved, a sharp decline from 5,372 the year before.
What is your view on increased government inspections?
We welcome increased government inspections. This strengthens the reputation of the berry industry. Together with the industry’s own improvement efforts, tougher government measures act as a self-cleaning mechanism for the sector. No one should exploit those who pick berries in the Swedish forests. This is also how the berry industry can shift from being a “high-risk sector” to a “risk-free” sector.
However, the inspections must be fair. Today there is a lack of coordination and consensus between different authorities, which complicates our processes. We therefore call for clear and uniform guidelines regarding working conditions for our employed berry pickers.
There have been long-standing reports of problems in the berry industry. Do you share this view?
The criticism is justified. We must have order and discipline within the berry industry. Fair working conditions for berry pickers are a prerequisite both for the pickers themselves and for the industry’s reputation. The Swedish Migration Agency’s internal audit from December 2023 highlights the increased inspections that should have been done earlier and only became reality in 2024.
What has been reported is unacceptable and does not reflect how serious actors operate. We take the existing problems seriously and want to be part of the solution.
Over 90 Thai berry pickers are to be interrogated by the Swedish legal system, most of them in Thailand. It concerns several companies accused of cheating their employees out of income. How can this happen?
It is impossible for us to comment on cases we do not have insight into. But the situation for foreign berry pickers has historically been difficult to monitor. Until 2010, berry picking was more unregulated, which unfortunately contributed to unacceptable conditions in parts of the industry.
There were Thai pickers already then, but they were “free pickers” and were in Sweden on tourist visas. This was clearly not an optimal system.
We therefore welcome increased government inspections. Together with the industry’s own improvement work, tougher government measures act as a self-cleaning of the sector. No one should exploit those who pick berries in the Swedish forests.
Do you agree that the industry has had a bad reputation for a long time?
We understand that the berry industry has had a poor reputation, partly because there have been few concrete laws and regulations to address the problems. For a long time, there was insufficient governance to ensure that all companies follow the proper working conditions.
Although collective agreements exist, they are not always adapted to the berry picking profession. They don’t fully fit the special conditions in our industry, which makes it difficult for both employers and employees to comply fairly with the rules.
We believe better solutions tailored specifically for the berry industry are needed to create fairness for all. It should also be noted that not all actors have behaved poorly. What is reported does not reflect how serious actors operate.
What concrete actions are you taking to clean up the industry?
This is an important but also very difficult question. Until recently, there was no industry association specifically for berry companies, which has made it hard to gather the actors who want to work together to improve the industry.
We as serious companies do our best: we comply with collective agreements, offer good conditions, and want to take responsibility. But to really clean up, clearer rules, more cooperation within the industry, and better dialogue with the authorities are needed.
How confident are you that your berry pickers are well treated?
We keep track of working conditions, wage payments, and housing. We also ensure that the pickers receive the correct information.
We meet berry pickers in Thailand and can see firsthand how their situation is. External control bodies verify compliance with working conditions and more.
We maintain ongoing dialogue with employees and have also developed various complaint mechanisms to quickly address any issues.