Precarity, work and reproduction: women's work in Chilean and Brazilian grape export sector

Abstract

The expansion of export agribusiness in Latin America leads to a growing feminization of the workforce. However, women are incorporated in this sector under unfavorable conditions- occupying low-skilled, low-income and temporary jobs. This article intends to investigate the precariousness of the working and living conditions of women who work as wage earners in San Francisco Valley (Brazil) and in Elqui/Limarí Valley (Chile) grape export sector, putting forward an analysis that integrates both the sphere of production and reproduction. The aim of this article is to contribute to identify the existing interconnections between productive and reproductive universes, as well as the main mechanisms implemented by companies for extracting surplus value and outsourcing costs to households.