Vineyards haven for migrants

Foreigners revel in temporary work tending vines in Italy

Sales Godge,of Burkina Faso, left, and Agronomist Vittorio Stringari inspect a grapevine at the Nardi vineyard in Casal Del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Sales Godge,of Burkina Faso, left, and Agronomist Vittorio Stringari inspect a grapevine at the Nardi vineyard in Casal Del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

CASALE DEL BOSCO, Italy -- Summer is arriving in Italy's wine country in Tuscany, and the leaves on the vines shimmer in gold and green.

Yahya Adams moves his gloves through the foliage, removing excess buds and shoots to make the vines stronger.

He's among 24 asylum-seekers from Africa and Asia who are working in vineyards of Tenute Silvio Nardi on this year's crop of Brunello di Montalcino, one of Italy's most famous wines.

They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Pakistan and other countries, with no previous experience in wine-making. But they have found temporary work here through a local nonprofit group that helps asylum-seekers find legal employment in vineyards or olive groves while their claims are being processed.

Adams, a 21-year-old from Ghana, is enjoying learning the craft.

"I like to study how the plant grows, and I want to improve in this job," he said. "And one day, I could teach others who arrive how to do the work, how to manage the plants, everything."

Adams left Ghana when he was just 14 to search for work abroad. He spent two years in Libya, a conflict-ridden North African country where many migrants hoping to reach Europe face abuse and extortion from ruthless human smugglers.

Adams said he was temporarily held in captivity in Libya and considered going home to Ghana before making it to Italy on a ship with 118 other migrants. After living in centers for unaccompanied minors, he tried to find work in Belgium, but returned to Italy, where he is now enrolled in the agricultural work program of the Cooperativa Agricola San Francesco.

The nonprofit organization aims to get asylum-seekers into the labor market with the same pay and working conditions as Italians, keeping them away from the off-the-books system known as "caporalato" in which migrant workers often get exploited. The phenomenon is widespread among seasonal workers in the agricultural sector, where almost 40% are hired irregularly, according to the Placido Rizzotto Observatory, a union watchdog group monitoring the infiltration of organized crime in agriculture.

"Some of them, they can tell you, for three or four years they worked in the black market, with no contract, nothing, so they did not exist. They didn't have social security, nothing. Here they have a contract, there is hope," said Salis Godje, who coordinates the program for Cooperativa Agricola San Francesco.

Godje, who moved to Italy from Togo as a student and received a degree in economics, said the asylum-seekers selected for the program are given a training course to learn the basics of vineyard work. After that they do three seasonal stints in the vineyard, pruning in the winter and summer, and harvesting in the fall.

Nicola Peirce, the president of the nonprofit, said the workers are paid around $8.52 an hour and work eight hours a day, in line with Italian union requirements for agricultural work. Others who end up working irregularly often earn half as much while working longer hours.

The program is now in its second year at Tenute Silvio Nardi, a family-owned winemaker established in the 1950s in hills of Casale del Bosco. It annually produces 210,000 bottles of wine made with Sangiovese grapes, including 160,000 bottles of Brunello di Montalcino, which is aged for five years before release.

The asylum-seekers work in teams of eight over 40 acres, pruning vines under the supervision of agronomist Vittorio Stringari.

"You need to have some patience in the beginning," Stringari said. "Like with everyone who starts a new job, there is a phase of apprenticeship. But given that they are very motivated ... they very quickly fill the technical gap."

Adams considers himself lucky to have a job that he likes and from which he earns enough to send some money to his family in Ghana.

"If I had this work in my country, I would not go anywhere," he said.

Yahya Adams, of Ghana, right, and Jawad Jawad, of Pakistan, work on a grapevine at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Yahya Adams, of Ghana, right, and Jawad Jawad, of Pakistan, work on a grapevine at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Jawad Jawad, of Pakistan, works on a grapevine at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Jawad Jawad, of Pakistan, works on a grapevine at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
The coat of Ibrahima Fofana, of Mali, hangs on a pole of the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021.It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
The coat of Ibrahima Fofana, of Mali, hangs on a pole of the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021.It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Ibrahima Fofana, of Mali, left, and Agronomist Vittorio Stringari inspect a grapevine at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Ibrahima Fofana, of Mali, left, and Agronomist Vittorio Stringari inspect a grapevine at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Yahya Adams, of Ghana, left, works on a grapevine with workmates with workmates Samadou Yabati, of Togo, background center and Abo Kouadjo Fulgence, of Ivory Coast, at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Yahya Adams, of Ghana, left, works on a grapevine with workmates with workmates Samadou Yabati, of Togo, background center and Abo Kouadjo Fulgence, of Ivory Coast, at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Agronomist Vittorio Stringari, left, and Sales Godge,of Burkina Faso, inspect a grapevine at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Agronomist Vittorio Stringari, left, and Sales Godge,of Burkina Faso, inspect a grapevine at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Ehikwe Ambrose, of Nigeria, works on a grapevine with workmates at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Ehikwe Ambrose, of Nigeria, works on a grapevine with workmates at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Sales Godge,of Burkina Faso and Agronomist Vittorio Stringari inspect a grapevine at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Sales Godge,of Burkina Faso and Agronomist Vittorio Stringari inspect a grapevine at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Tholley Osman, of Sierra Leone, right, passes under a line of grapevine during his workday at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Tholley Osman, of Sierra Leone, right, passes under a line of grapevine during his workday at the Nardi vineyard in Casal del Bosco, Italy, Thursday, May 27, 2021. It is a long way, and a risky one. But for this group of migrants at least it was worth the effort. They come from Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Pakistan, Guinea Bissau, among other countries. They all crossed the Sahara desert, then from Libya the perilous Mediterranean Sea until they reached Italian shores, now they find hope working in the vineyards of Tuscany to make the renown Brunello wine. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

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