OpenAlex · 2026-07-07
This study examines how large-scale organic vegetable farms manage and justify the difficult, unpleasant labor tasks that workers must perform, exploring the social and organizational mechanisms that make 'dirty work' acceptable in an industry that markets itself on natural and ethical values.
Large-scale organic vegetable operations require workers to perform 'dirty work' — physically demanding or stigmatized tasks — that tensions with the industry's ethical and natural image.
Social and organizational mechanisms are employed on farms to reframe or legitimize unpleasant labor, making it acceptable to workers despite its difficult nature.
The gap between organic agriculture's marketed values and the realities of industrial-scale production creates ongoing challenges for worker identity and job satisfaction.