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French farmers look to urban workers to help in the orchards during COVID-19

People who were confined at home in cities are signing up to help pick fruit for minimum wage.

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Farmers at a vineyard in southern France.
Farmers at a vineyard in southern France.
Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP via Getty Images

With France closing its borders to non-European countries due to COVID-19, the seasonal workers who usually come from countries like Morocco to pick France’s fruit are having to stay at home. So farmers are calling on city folk, who have been confined to their apartments, to come and work in the orchards. These urban workers ⁠— builders, chefs, people who would otherwise work in restaurants ⁠— are helping to pick fruit on farms for minimum wage.

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