Mamadou Diop, 52, stands in entrance of the strawberry farms the place he does seasonal work in Palos de la Frontera, Spain on October 16. Born in Senegal, Diop speaks greater than 5 languages. He lives in makeshift housing close to the farms, and he sends a reimbursement to his spouse and youngsters in Joal Fadiouth, Senegal.

Ricci Shryock for NPR

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Ricci Shryock for NPR

Mamadou Diop, 52, stands in entrance of the strawberry farms the place he does seasonal work in Palos de la Frontera, Spain on October 16. Born in Senegal, Diop speaks greater than 5 languages. He lives in makeshift housing close to the farms, and he sends a reimbursement to his spouse and youngsters in Joal Fadiouth, Senegal.

Ricci Shryock for NPR

If you’ve got ever had strawberries, there’s a good likelihood they had been grown in a province in southern Spain known as Huelva.

Spain is the second largest producer of strawberries, behind the United States.

And the jurisdiction of Huelva is the place 80% of the nation’s berries are grown, in an trade that’s more and more demanding.

The work is year-round and requires discipline employees who tackle the repetitive process planting seedlings after which harvesting when prepared. This job often falls on migrants, many from Africa.

They describe difficult situations within the fields and with their bosses, who are sometimes sluggish to provide them work papers. When they don’t seem to be working, they’ve to fret about ducking the police and hazard in a close-by settlement the place most of them stay.

Listen to our full report by clicking or tapping the play button above.