L’esclavage au cœur de l’Europe

L’esclavage au cœur de l’Europe

Every day on TV, It’s war. A merciless war. But a just war. A war to save us, We, consumers victims of the crisis. It’s a price war, a merciless fight, or musketeers face new traders. The doe has cause for concern. Intermarché has signed everything against the bichère. Where the Charles-Claire take the crossroads, blow up casinos and bring the most valiant disco soldiers to their knees. You who choose light crème fraîche. The cheapest price you can find at Lidl or EDE, for example, Did you know that on average, it was cheaper at Leclerc The lower the price, The more beautiful the victory. Listening carefully to the names of these trade missions, It seems that this conflict leads to a new philosophy of life. Let’s live better, let’s live, cheaper. You heard Let’s live better, cheaper. Low Prices, more confidence. Trust, it’s a strong word, confidence. Confidence in what, exactly Oh yes, The quality of the products, respect for nature and people. Supermarkets have all the virtues. Come on, come in with us, without fear. This consumerist miracle is all the more improbable given that all this food comes from all corners of the world. A globalized plate. It’s the famous Christmas tomato, The strawberry of the month of January, the Spanish cucumber… Scottish salmon, naturalized, Chilean. Cheap. Even cheaper and more responsible. Everyone is happy there. Really Now we return to the scandal of horse meat being included in many frozen ready meals. Of course, you remember. Findus, Spanghero, Picard, Romania, horse meat in lasagna. The information you may have already forgotten, It is the one that reveals the heart of the story. A Dutch broker based in Cyprus, He is said to have negotiated the purchase of horse meat from Romanian slaughterhouses. In the price war, They are traders who buy and resell meat. Like oil or gas, Food has become a pure object of speculation. This is the final stage of price pressure. Cheap beef, yes, it is horse, Well, it doesn’t matter. Society, in fact, considers it a given… Provide him with cheap food, at very low prices. From there, the workforce in there, This is the adjustment variable. And so, we need to have a workforce that can be exploited at will. The workforce, She is the one who pays the low prices, those you never see. Little hands, in France and abroad, that feed us. Who do they belong to? These hands that pick, who collect, who ship. These little hands have a face, that of modern slavery or human exploitation. This abuse lies behind some of the main fruits and vegetables that we consume every day and in every season. The tomato, For example. We buy it whole, in Bolognese, in prepared meals, in coulis, in juice, in concentrate, canned, Like in these boxes. Tomatoes, peeled, whole. Stamped in the field, Carrefour or simply tomatoes. 70% Cheap canned tomatoes on our shelves come from Italy. In particular from Foggia, in the Puglia region. According to the Puglia Tourist Board, The region is full of promise. You spend the night with an old lady in a sumptuous villa. She prepares a road helmet for you. So you can cycle all day, effortlessly, even uphill. You are the king of the road. Apart from you, person. In Milan, you would be fined, but there, you can drive with your feet. Around you, the old stones of Castel del Monte rub shoulders with the azure blue of the sea. You slide from hill to valley, to a small church where people who are both picturesque and generous invite you to their wedding. Heaven. As soon as we arrived on site, We were slightly disappointed. We are a stone’s throw from the city of Foggia, But in what the locals call the Great Ghetto, right in the middle of the tomato fields. We arrive in October, It’s the end of the season. From spring to autumn, Between 1,500 and 3,000 immigrants live here. They are all tomato pickers. It’s not easy for us to enter the slum. Senegalese, Ivorians, Malians, Most of them come from West Africa. They are ashamed of their living conditions. It’s difficult to film them. Eventually, Issouf, 29 years old, agrees to talk to us. He comes from Portbouay, in Ivory Coast. It’s 7am, It’s almost a little late to leave for work. Today, we have to work right next door and that requires… no,
it only takes about twenty, thirty minutes to get there. From now on, I’m still here. Otherwise, at 4 a.m., I would have already left. The tomato, This year, It’s over. Issou is crushing olives. It could be fennel or broccoli. To have the right to live in the great Ghetto, You have to pay at least 100 euros per season to the owner of the land to install a hut. And here… This is where we are sleeping now. And that, This is the first cover, the second and the third. Because with the cold, We can’t stand this house or that house that’s covered in cardboard. Plywood frame, Cardboard wall, plastic insulation. Opposite the Yssouf barracks, Welcome to the cafeteria. Here, This is where you can cook, We still heat the water to wash. In the pantry, few vegetables, not even a can of peeled tomatoes. It’s sugar, but it’s frozen there. You see It’s powder, but it’s frozen. I’m telling you this. Is that a bit too strong? Yes.
When coming to Italy, sincerely, I never thought about it. Finding these obstacles. I didn’t think I would find that in Italy, we could live like this, one could undergo such suffering. Because even in Africa, It is very rare that we see these things in Africa. Things too, like here, THE Great Goto, Is it harder than what you saw in Asia? Yes. If you are not yet convinced, take a look at the toilet. Go ahead, there’s a shower. I am here, I am here. But only if you bring your bucket. The water is supplied by the regional authorities. From Puglia. It’s not the Dolce Vita, it’s Foggia, in the heart of the European Union. We continue our rather unusual visit to Puglia. A little everywhere, We see half-ruined houses. They are casolaries. Normally, agricultural equipment is stored there. But after checking, Rather, it is the immigrant pickers who make it their shelter. How many of them survive? Like, in the middle of the Fields, in Italy? There is very little work. Reliable statistics, But we got our hands on the report of the main Italian agricultural workers’ union, FLAI-CGIL. It dates from 2012. This study, carried out with researchers from the University of Milan and some Italian public prosecutors, announcement 400,000 illegal immigrants working in the agricultural sector. In Foggia, The CGIL unionists invite us to witness a very rare event. Two Moroccan seasonal workers want to file a complaint against their boss. What is your problem? They didn’t pay me anything. We worked for nothing. When I tell him to give me my money, he answers me “Wait, we’ll see later. Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, next week. And what about the timetables? What time did you start in the morning and what time did you finish? We started at 7am until 1pm. We started again at 1:30 p.m. And we finished at 4:30 p.m. Sometimes even at 5 p.m. 9 hours of picking per day. Nassim and Abdel worked for Feo for 3 months, a large farmer. They received only 310 euros each. De Feo owes them at least 4 times more. They took some pictures of themselves during the picking. But prefer to remain anonymous. One of them is undocumented. And the salary, SO Who was he paid by? The team leader, the corporal. A corporal Why is he talking about a corporal? The employer, the Italian boss, he leaves it to his corporals. Who are beating the countryside to recruit workers, They tell them “Do you want to come to work?” Pickers do not always know for which owner they will be working, how much they will be paid, the schedules they will do. They have no relationship with the employer, but only with this corporal. A corporal, like in the army. In the fields, a quasi-military organization. We call this the caporalato system, rooted throughout the agricultural sector of southern Italy. Without corporal, no work. Adam is Burkinabe. In 2011, he was picking tomatoes near Lecce, in Puglia. Last year in Nardo, there were more than 60 of us. Well,
the real contracts, maybe, That’s 20 contracts, the rest… They take people in black and the prices are not the same. The great ones said there, we were waiting for the box, Normally, It was 10. And they paid us 4 euros. 4 euros for a crate of 300 kilos of tomatoes, picked up in one hour. And every time, the corporal takes his percentage. Adam discreetly filmed the harvest with his cell phone. The only white in these images, It’s the corporal. He is taking the roll call. It defines the tasks, pays salaries and transports troops. At 8, in a van, it’s not charity, It’s profitability. The corporal also charges the workers for all his services. According to the report of the CGIL union, in Italy, 100,000 immigrants are said to be victims of this widespread racket. The Italian authorities have long turned a blind eye. Valeria Mignone was one of the first magistrates to open them. In my opinion, It is a form of modern slavery. Besides, The Geneva Convention compares these conditions of exploitation to slavery. The pickers’ only contact with the outside world, It’s the corporal. Water is sold to them at very high prices. A sandwich, even a basic little sandwich, They have to buy it for between 2.50 and 5 euros. And all that, They can only buy it from their corporal. They are not allowed to get it any other way. This corporal, They also have to pay for housing, even when it comes to unsanitary and dilapidated dwellings on the outskirts of cities. Last year, Prosecutor Mignone brings down a human trafficking network organized by corporals. These images were filmed by the Italian police. When she discovered this immigrant workers’ camp in Nardos, in the very south of Puglia. Men sleeping under tarpaulins or even under the stars. Two years of investigation, long hours of listening to the phone and one morning, Bingo The ROS, the Italian red, made a huge haul. An intermediary, caporo, trafficker, farmer. In total, 22 people are arrested. But it is impossible to count the hundreds of victims of the network from North Africa, from Ghana, from Senegal or Sudan. The immigrants made contact with a trafficker. They paid around 3,000, 3,500 euros for the trip. They were promised a well-paid job and, of course, the residence permit. They arrived in Italy, convinced that they were in a regular situation. They had gone into debt for this. But of course, All the papers were fake. Without declared work, without paper, immigrants are prisoners of the network, forced to work at will. Prosecutor Mignonée orders the wiretapping of the alleged leaders of the network for three months. On the bands, Listen to this discussion between two operators. They are talking about human beings. Okay, now, I will wear them out like beasts, until tonight, at least. You give me a fresh team and I’ll see if they can do it. 4, 500 quintals. Do you understand? OK, agreed. And for the women who work in the fields, We’ll let you guess how they are treated. For the warehouse, how many women do you need 10, 12. We take two women with us. On one hand, they work in the warehouse and on the other, They work at night. You see what I mean? A network has fallen, But how many are still in place in southern Italy? Tomatoes, watermelons, broccoli, grapes, some of the best-selling fruits and vegetables in European supermarkets, are produced by thousands of immigrant workers in a situation of near slavery. With a little perseverance, we can know who pays the social bill in these sectors. But there is one product for which this bill is even higher. It’s the fish. At sea, no witnesses, no police, no unions. And the exploitation of labor goes even further. The sea convicts we are going to tell you about are lost in the middle of the ocean, embarked, alone in the world. To hope to tell their story, you have to get up early, 3am. Still in Rungis. Building A4, the tide. 170,000 tonnes of seafood pass through here every year. A priori, You think these wholesalers are fish experts. They know the names and nicknames of the species. And, of course, their origin. That’s where we were a little disappointed. To collect confidences, we take out our hidden camera. It’s up there. There, we have the rest, Me.
It’s the sale of the road. I always have. I had a question, You land on the shrimp. And what is this, for example? That’s great, That’s wild. What is this if we put it in the air? We put that in the air, that Yes,
I came to rush him a bit. But it’s… You look like,
there, I was looking, it was marked… …infantile From his buttock, No
Is it there? Yeah.
No, That’s it
It’s in place. It’s in place. THANKS. Yet, on the cardboard, It’s clearly marked. “Atlantic-Central-East”. It’s funny how quickly we forget geography lessons. The Central Atlantic, It’s here. Those who have worked a lot in the sector, These are the activists of the environmental NGO, known for its spectacular actions in the middle of the oceans, Greenpeace. The Greenpeace France fisheries manager is blind. Yet, He keeps his eyes wide open to the living conditions of these sea convicts. We are working on industrial fishing, precisely, whether through its environmental or social issues. We ask ourselves the question of working conditions and what we find quite quickly, These are things that clearly fall under slavery. These conditions have been reported, Unfortunately, they are more common than one might imagine. It’s also… For an industry that feeds the fish we eat here. For example, in Guinea-Conakry, a small country in West Africa, with a large seaboard and a great maritime culture. Conakry, the capital. The artisanal fishermen of the port of Boulbinet set out every day to conquer this sea, one of the richest in fish in the world. But the competition is tough. Asians or Europeans, Industrial trawlers from all over the world come to fish off the coast of Guinea, sometimes in complete illegality. Reserved for traditional fishermen, a zone of 12,000 is completely forbidden to industrial boats. But some cast their net just a few fathoms from the beach, where the fish are most numerous. And to plunder the local seas at the best price, Maritime law is being mocked. Like human rights. This is what is denounced EJF, an English NGO. In its latest report on illegal fishing in West Africa, The organization describes the abuses, mistreatment, which thousands of sailors on board Korean and Chinese trawlers are victims. She even shot these images. These date from 2006. Here, a Chinese trawler, which could use a little paint. Inside this kind of ship, Here are the fish processing workshops. Finally, the crew cabins, everything is in order. Back to land. In the suburbs of Conakry, one hour from the port, We have an appointment with a sailor who has experienced hell at sea. Aliceni, 38 years old, works on its industrial trawlers. Not really by choice, but out of duty. He has to feed his 12 family members. I have sailed with more than 12 boats. More than 12 Chinese ships. It’s the same thing. It’s the same thing. I work hard, night and all day. Not ten, but today, It’s Sunday. Not a day off. When you rest, Your contract is canceled. During his last 28-day sea voyage, Aliceni and his colleagues are working hard. The last day, 24 hours without sleep. Exhausted, he decides to go and rest. I refused to work. I came home. In my cabin, I was resting. My bridge chief came to get me out of there. He told me, We’re going to beat you up. The Chinese are about to beat you up. They are often ready to attack us, to hurt us, with irons, with iron bars. And all this for a pittance. 200 dollars, 150 euros per month, without pause, without weekend, without respite. To gather further testimonies and understand what life is like on industrial trawlers, We are going to the Guinean Fishermen’s Union. Prang Tung Kara no longer goes to sea. Today he manages the Union of Fishermen. He keeps the accounts and records complaints from his colleagues. These are the various hearing minutes that the external relations officer, disputes and litigation, often done whenever sailors return from sea. A 7, 8, 9,
10… There are 18 of them. There were 18 complaints in 2011. No toilets, no rest, too many fights, mistreatment. One of the sailors mentions one of his colleagues found dead in the nets, whose body was thrown into the sea. And it goes on like this, page after page. Every time, The abuse takes place on Chinese or South Korean industrial ships. So, we are in a test with the cockroaches. The kidneys, our living conditions are zero, our wages are zero, Everything is zero. My brother. It is extremely difficult to get to the high seas to board Asian fishing boats. After a few unsuccessful attempts, The Guinean army agrees to take us. It’s funny, in Africa, There is always a French soldier nearby. The crew, everyone has their position. I don’t want to see anyone on the plot, everyone has their position. In front of the camera, The Guinean government wants to show us that it is taking action. Setting off with great pomp, good luck. The buccaneers had better watch out. Enemies don’t sleep. We must not do the same, we sleep too. So, that’s our reason for being in the Navy. Good, All right, It’s a bit easy to make fun of. But if we do it, it’s because in reality, The Guinean authorities are organizing this outing just for us. On a daily basis, until today, They have not really acted to prevent abuses. After two hours at sea, we see a Korean trawler, motionless, within Guinean territorial waters. It is a no-fishing zone for industrial vessels. Here we go. Once on board, Inspectors from the Ministry of Fisheries are responsible for monitoring. From the outset, The South Korean captain announces that he is down. This would be the reason for its presence near the coast, in the internal fishing zone. We take the opportunity to go and see the crew inside the ship. Whose cabin is this? This is one of the Africans’ cabins. Africans? Yes, of the Guénéens. This is where they live. What? Okay.
Okay. Eight sailors sleep here in five square meters. Okay. Come on. Come on. Here is the kitchen. At first glance, It’s a little less catastrophic than on other boats. But hey, we are very far from modern European or South Korean standards. Korean ships, it’s not good. It’s not good for me. The salary, he is very small. How much is it? 170 dollars. That’s good, why not No, it’s not much, no,
no. Here,
there is no paperwork, no contract. Is this where they work? Yes.
We can see how it is. We don’t have much time. Heading for the hold. Just a few minutes to see that the fish caught here off the coast of Guinea, once packaged, becomes South Korean. A nice sleight of hand. Because since 2007, Guinea is not allowed to export its fish to Europe for health reasons. There is not enough infrastructure on land to guarantee the fishing of the merchandise. And too much corruption among the authorities to ensure reliable controls on offshore fishing boats. Normally, Fish caught here should not reach Europe. So we change their nationality. Let’s ask the captain where he plans to ship his real fake Korean fish. The fish goes to Europe. How do you send it to Europe? The fish, How is he doing in Europe? He passes through Spain, through the port of Las Palmas. On the cardboard, an identifier, Corf 181. By this approval, Brussels authorizes Korean boat to deliver its catch, at our place. To defy the ban on importing Guinean fish into Europe, the system is well established. Freezer ships come to collect the cargo. Often fished illegally near the coast. It’s called transshipment, This is not allowed. The freezer ships leave Illico for the Spanish port of Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands, gateway to the European Union. Here we are. While investigating in Las Palmas, We unearth this official table from the port authorities. The comings and goings of three freezer ships in 2012, between West Africa and the spalmas. According to our calculations, They are said to have delivered at least 35,000 tonnes of fake Asian fish to these hangars. The lianroun, the haifeng, two Chinese ships, and a Korean, CETA 73. After verification, CETA 73, This is the boat that imports to Europe. The fish caught by the trawler we boarded, off the coast of Guinea. It’s written here. In the documents of the Spanish customs representative, Alas Palmas. But for him, no problem. The fish is Korean, period, that’s all. Isn’t it a problem that it’s marked Korea? No, The origin is Korea. To endorse if the fish is caught in international waters, the origin, This is the origin of the boat. SO, this fish, You have no way of knowing if it comes from Guinea No, I can’t know. But I have a document here that states that fishing was controlled. For us, it is legal. Can you tell me who buys this fish? I would like to provide you with some statistics, but precise data on an importer who buys fish from a given boat, The law prevents me from telling you. This is how the European Union allows fake Asian fish to be unloaded, the origin and conditions in which it was caught being ignored, Without telling us where he’s going. Maria Damanaki, You are the European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Can you guarantee us, to us. consumers, the quality and origin of all fish sold in Europe No, that’s something I can’t guarantee. For what Because… Ah good I cannot guarantee that all fish are caught legally. It’s annoying for the consumer. Yes. Some people may think that illegal fishing is not a big problem, but it is one. Worldwide, 10% fish is caught illegally. This amounts to 10 billion euros each year. You imagine We can say that we are making progress, but we are not sure 100% that all the fish that ends up on our plate is caught legally. We,
going to Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands, we find fish that was caught in Guinea-Conakry. Imports have been banned in Europe since 2007. It is written in black and white by your services. These boats, Next, are transhipped onto ships that are either Chinese or Korean. They arrive in Las Palmas, at the gates of Europe. They transship this fish. We will consume it, all of us, and nothing happens. SO, you control. But in the port of Las Palmas, they must control. It’s not that simple. Not all boats arriving in Las Palmas can disembark like this. If it happens… They check, They even write it on official documents. We can’t be everywhere. We need to work with Member States, together. So I’m not going to give bad points to others. We take our responsibilities. We can’t do it alone. It is a global scourge. How many people do you think we have here in our department? You have an idea To the European Commission How many of you are there? Tell us. In all, 20 people. 20 people to control the world’s fish arriving in England Let me promise you that next year, the legislation will be in place. How she said already Advertising Low Prices, more confidence. Oh yes, confidence. Suddenly, We have a feeling of doubt when reading the labels. Cans of tinned food, fish. NOW, you understand better why, when you are a journalist, Sometimes you have to go shopping with a hidden camera. Supermarket chains don’t often let us rummage through their aisles. All these beautiful products, well presented, well lit, that hypnotize us and prevent us from seeing what is essential. From the exploitation of workers to the exploitation of an entire region, Sometimes there are only a few parts, from one stall to another. Take the banana, that we consume all year round, on average 8.5 kg per year per person, at our place. Often offered at unbeatable prices. She comes from the French Antilles, from Latin America or Africa. Like one in ten bananas in France, This one comes from Cameroon. Admit it, little stickers like that, you never look at them, Eh There it is written “Booba”. This banana is also sold under the name SCB. Two clicks further, We come across a video from an organization that collects consumer feedback and awards the label each year. “Flavor of the Year.” Fortunately, This is not the price of humor. I was going to ask you if you’re okay. I was going to tell you, I have bananas today. I feel like you wanted to do it too, that one. I wouldn’t have allowed myself. Well, indeed, Yes,
Willy, We’re going to talk about bananas today. With the SCB Premium banana, from the plantations of the Fruitière company in Africa, she is pampered throughout her journey, right up to consumers’ tables. A beautiful yellow-orange color, this banana, manually selected, draws on the climate and exceptional terroir of its African countries, Ivory Coast, Cameroon or Ghana. All its character and intense flavor. Wow We immediately wanted to go to Africa. In Cameroon, exactly. Where the fruit company, the French multinational that produces this banana, purchased 4,500 hectares of plantation in 1991. The Hopenja Plantation Society, PHP, covers 4,500 hectares. In this corporate film, The Fruitière company presents its activities. Beautiful landscapes, beautiful, fruits, fulfilled workers. Owner of his plantations, the fruit company was able to implement an environmental policy based on the practice of sustainable agriculture, the protection of the natural environment and the reduction of the environmental impact of its activity. With such a record, by calling to request filming permission from the fruit company’s communications director, no doubt, He will definitely welcome us in Brasovay. A controversy, a refusal to film, It makes us want to scratch a little more. While typing on the Internet, we find the extract of a report written by Fadena in 2010, a Cameroonian NGO. For three years, with the support of the UN, La Fadena claims to have studied the environmental and health consequences of pesticide use, in the region where the fruit company operates. Only the study summary is available, But the link between chemicals and certain diseases within the population would be established. The main diseases linked to the use of pesticides in the region have been identified. The complete results would be available on site, in Cameroon, when we told you that you should be wary of appearances. When we arrive in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, first problem, Fadena no longer has an address. Actually, We learn that it has even been dissolved. We still had a phone number, so we called. Hello Yes, hello Yes,
Hello, sir, This is Loanje Fadena Yes, sir, We would love to meet you. And… It would be… Could you tell us where you are? Yes. You don’t have… But who has this study? So, sir, Please ? You are my interlocutor at the end of the film and I don’t even know your name, Sir.
What is your name? Please ? He doesn’t look too serene, our mysterious interlocutor. In any case, He advises us to go and see. The UNDP, the United Nations Development Programme, This UN agency co-funded the study. That we are looking for. UNDP, our only hope. Holder of evidence of possible pesticide contamination. In case we miss something, We film discreetly. Ah, yeah A file that is too sensitive, another one. This UNDP official makes us read the internal instructions about the scientific report we are looking for. We can make this information, which affects both human health and soil quality, water and air in the localities targeted by the study. No need to insist, The Fadena study would no longer be here. She would have been sheltered from our prying eyes. It is not yet known whether there is a link between pesticides and illnesses among people living near banana plantations in the Njombepenjar region. This is the stronghold of PHP, the fruit company’s subsidiary in Cameroon. To tell us about the pesticides used in the plantation, We meet a man who currently works at PHP. He prefers to remain anonymous. Driving through the banana plantations, we submit to him a list of phytosanitary products prohibited in France. So that’s UNECID funds. How is it? Are there any that you use in there? We use the Bravo 728, the Bravo. The Bravo was withdrawn from the French market in 2010, possible. carcinogenic. We can use the Titan. The Titan, respiratory tract irritant, removed from our company in 2007. The Manzac 15. Do you still use this? The Manzac 15. The Manzat 75, also withdrawn in 2007, respiratory tract irritant, polluting waterways. The Ciganex, we use it. Ciganex has not been sold in our country since 2000. Its toxic effects are still poorly defined. Do you realize that all these products that you use in Corsica, These are products that have been discontinued for a very long time, sometimes in France, is this normal? At the French level, It was used because it was found to be a product that is dangerous to health. These pesticides are still authorized in Cameroon. According to our witness, PHP would therefore use them in its plantations. On its website, the company claims that it complies with Cameroonian regulations, French and European. What the local residents are especially denouncing, These are the techniques of spraying chemicals. On the ground, but also by plane. Spreading gold, as seen in these images, was shooting recently. In the heart of a plantation, We have an appointment with two pesticide specialists. They worked for PHP for many years, They too prefer to remain anonymous. As soon as the plane spreads the product, There is a part that is blown away by the wind. So, the other parts that are carried by the wind do not reach the village populations. Gold, no security bank is planned for the plantation. When they lend the plantation, I saw pots that fit here. When the plane passes, pedestrians, all take the product. I am still present. Guess the name of one of the villages located in the heart of the plantation that is regularly watered during spraying. Bouba. He is the one who gave his name to the beautiful banana we found at the supermarket. The houses are right next to the plantation. Yes. When they come, we are suffering. Always. They come over the village and there is nothing we can do. Chemicals Yes. It’s falling on us. It even falls on the cocoa that we dry on the ground. It’s poisoning him. Do they warn you before they come to spread pesticides? No. Nobody warns us. When they come, we run to take refuge inside. You must lock yourself away Yes, when they drop. Spraying twice a month, which can harm populations living near the plantations. But not only that. It happened that residents of the small town of Jombepeja also received toxic rain on their heads. About fifteen years ago, Guy Merlin was in the town’s market square with some friends. But the sprays… Further threatens banana workers. Not necessarily at the time of the plane’s passage, but just after, with the products that are deposited on the leaves. This old gentleman, with green eyes, worked 30 years on the plantations. It was while cutting the fashion sheets now that the powder fell in his nose. At that moment, he fell. It’s the white guy who left his office. He came to pick him up and take him to the hospital. Since he lost his life, White didn’t even give him meaning on his skin. To your eye that you lost in society. You have absolutely never been compensated by the PHP No, not a dollar. It’s not a dollar. This banana helps us, but it must not destroy us again. It’s like it’s a poisoned chalice. This case is not unique. We have an appointment with another PHP picker, blind, him too. Christophe Nguéa started picking bananas as a teenager. When he lost his sight, He also lost his job. When you yourself were working on the plantations at the time, What were the security conditions? It was on this side that there were no security conditions. We did all this without boots, without gloves, without a mask. From time to time, the products were suffocating us on the plantation, in the banana plantation. But since we were minors, that we were naive, we took it lightly like that. We were trying to get some water to wash our eyes. They also tried to relieve me with the packages, something. The view was fading. It just kept going down. When your eyesight began to fail, they fired you, in fact,
that’s it, directly? So, They fired me. I still hope for healing. I’ll put everything back, The stuff towards the arms of this nest. Recurring eye problems in this locality, in the middle of the PHP plantations. But also other pathologies that the inhabitants attribute, they too, to pesticides. We proceed cautiously and try to verify the testimonies. A few kilometers further, Dr. Wong, He consults at the Saint-Jean-de-Malte hospital. Although he has difficulty proving it, He notes links between certain diseases and pesticides. To say that we have a problem that is due to pesticides, It’s not easy to prove. I’m talking to you about eye problems, When, for example… A plane passed by, someone comes and says “well, here we go, the eyes are irritated, I’ve had illnesses like that.” There, I know it’s likely. There is no evidence that it was a lung disease that we had that was due to that. But there are lung diseases. But what is your innermost conviction? Me,
for me. As a scientist, You ask yourself if there are any probabilities anyway? Yes,
but it’s certain that we’ve been exposed to pesticides for a long time, It is normal to have lung problems. It’s normal, There is a causal relationship though. Yes,
if we stay exposed for a long time, I don’t know. I don’t know. We tried to recover some medical records from the Saint-Jean-de-Malte hospital, where the doctor works. Impossible. Perhaps because this health center was partly funded by the PHP, exactly, the subsidiary of the fruit company. As the online video states, on the site. A hospital also provides treatment for local populations. It’s not easy to gather evidence in the middle of banana plantations. Number of sick people, the types and causes of pathologies. But what we discover, It is a population that has been left behind. There seems to be a catch. The region is one of the richest in the country. Yet, look around you. Visibly, The commune of Jomépenja does not seem to be benefiting from the banana money. The former mayor of the city claims that he went straight to jail for raising this issue. Just elected to the mayoralty in 2007, Paul-Éric Kinguet is seeking funding for his city. He finds the accounts dry. According to him, The large companies in his town do not pay. The patent, the equivalent of the professional tax. And among them, the country’s largest private employer, the PHP. We have a company like PHP, which makes billions, who doesn’t pay a single… patent. SO, I’m coming, I say to these people, as you seem to have been having fun with taxes for several years, My town has no money, you must now pay. Paul-Éric Kinguet immediately obtained the support of the Cameroonian tax administration. The Director General confirms that he will ensure strict enforcement of the law. From now on, Companies like PHP will pay tax, like everyone else. But two months later, February 28, 2008, the mayor is arrested, accused of being behind popular riots in his region. At the origin of these deadly incidents, a strike and demonstrations to protest against rising fuel and food prices. The test is missing, So the court then accuses him of stealing money from the town hall. From hearing to appeal, At every step, a new banana peel. Kingé is still in prison, for 5 years. He took advantage of a few hours’ leave to speak to us. You understand that if you have to… You throw, either as mayor, either as an individual, against this company. Every means is in place to ensure that you are crushed. Come on, cuts the mayor. Does this spell have anything to do with the PHP folder? There is no evidence of this. In any case, According to the accounts of the commune of Djonbepenja, PHP still hasn’t paid the bill. The Fruitière company, owner of PHP, will later assure us… By email that she now pays the tax, but since 2011, and directly to the State, not to the town hall. Health problems among the population, serious tax arrears, If PHP cultivates bananas so easily, This is because it also cultivates good relations with the Cameroonian authorities. Here, For example, the regional MP, Ndono Mbanga. His office is located in the PHP premises. Amazing. Actually, Sir. The MP is also the company’s director of external relations. But,
but, but… Since our request to film was denied, You know what we do in these cases. We hide a camera and let it run. You,
you are a member of parliament, you are at PHP. Is the mixing of genres, Isn’t that something that might intimidate people here in the region? Yes,
because, suddenly, You are a member of parliament and you work at PHP. So,
maybe people say, I’m not going to see my MP to get PHP. Yes, I have a little bit of a way out, the class makes a disappointment, peace is made, peace is made. And I have the whole solution. The solution is fair. The objective, It is to maintain relationships with the neighborhood. I would even say that I sometimes distorted the violence of the PHP more. Normally, This is called a conflict of interest. But hey,
Mr. The MP is not alone in this. Let’s recap. He is therefore director of external relations for the PHP, while another MP is the current chairman of the board of directors of the PHP. His predecessor held this position for a long time while serving as Minister of Commerce. Representatives of the people who work for the PHP, a well-established political network, which extends to Paris. Even if it means playing in the big leagues, might as well play in the courtyard of the Elysée. Today, Paul Biya, the President of Cameroon, came to do the sales rep. At the end of his meeting with the President, Hollande, amidst the splendors of the Republic, We have some questions about the links between the Cameroonian government and the French banana company. Mr. President, a question about banana, Please. Can you explain to us? We have seen serious failings, There are social problems, health problems linked to PHP activities, from the Fritière company in Cameroon. Can you explain to us a little why the government is doing nothing about this? The government has a lot of problems, but for more details… I have with me the Minister of Economy. We must not neglect this problem, but it is part of what we are trying to solve. There are social problems, There are health problems that have been identified there. And yet, people complain that the state is doing nothing for them. What can you say to all these people? These problems will be solved, Sir. THANKS. Who can we talk to about this? Can you give us an interview for that? To a driver To a Republican Guard Be sure to avoid banana peel. Ah! This gentleman, with dark glasses. He will meet us the next morning, at a place where our questions can be answered. At the pavilion, Gabriel, a stone’s throw from the Elysée. Cameroon is in the spotlight. The French and Cameroonian bosses are all there. A small oven in one hand, a cup in the other and business cards in his pockets. We spot it pretty quickly. The representative of the fruit company, Jean-Christophe Aitzic. He is part of the official Cameroonian delegation. Actually, he will never introduce us to anyone else. And despite our insistence, The fruit company’s executives did not agree to an interview. At a time when labels are multiplying, the guarantees, the promises made to us consumers, let’s keep our eyes open. Let us ask ourselves the question. If there is fair trade, Wouldn’t that mean there is unfair trade? Next weekend, Pushing our cart between the shelves, let us ask ourselves for a moment, At what low price does exploitation begin?

Cash Investigation révèle le prix humain de notre alimentation à bas coût. En 8 mois d’enquête, les journalistes ont remonté les filières de produits du quotidien — tomates, bananes, poissons — pour découvrir des conditions de travail indignes au cœur même de l’Union européenne : salaires illégaux, exploitation, quasi-esclavage.
Derrière les rayons des supermarchés, une industrie agroalimentaire opaque, où la pression sur les prix masque l’exploitation de travailleurs invisibles.

Les Récoltes de la Honte – Cash Investigation
Réalisateur : Wandrille Lanos