#strawberry pickers

[loisbergmusic]

[elladastinkardiamou]

In the small Greek town of Nea Manolada, the smell of strawberries fills the air. Located in the region of Ilia in the western Peloponnese, a large number of enterprises occupy hundreds of hectares of land for intensive greenhouse cultivation. With a turnover of more than 90 million euros, strawberry production covers the largest part (up to 95%) of the Greek market, while 70% is exported to countries such as Russia, Germany and the UK, among others.

Idyllic posters of the plump red fruit can be found on every street corner, and spotting excessively luxurious villas is not a difficult task. In 2011, in the midst of Greece’s sagging economy, former “Socialist” Prime Minister George Papandreou praised farm owners for their bold entrepreneurial spirit and agricultural innovation. But at what — and most importantly at whose — cost is the so-called Manolada “miracle” sustained?

[ticklemahfancy-blog]

Writing a paper on material culture, I had to pick a possession of mine, I chose Strawberries, and I had to find out the origin of the possession. Crying and feeling sick to my stomach cause I know where they came from, who they came from, and drove past these conditions every. single. day. for 17 years of my life, and never gave two shits until now.