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This report shows that the working and living conditions of agricultural workers in the agricultural sector of the Spanish province of Almería are far from optimal. This is illustrated by the persistence of temporary contracts for permanent jobs, wages well below those stipulated by the collective agreement, declared hours far below actual hours worked, non-payment of overtime, barriers to unionization, extremely harsh working conditions (e.g., exhausting shifts under extreme heat), and widespread substandard housing. Since exploitation and labour precarity are structural, explanations must go beyond individual accounts and address the root causes. Based on intensive fi eldwork the study demonstrates that the working and living conditions of workers are shaped by the actions and interactions of the different actors involved: 1) employers, who tend to justify low wages, fl exibility, and informal practices as necessary for the competitiveness of the agricultural sector; 2) migrant workers, who above all need to secure income and residence rights, often at the expense of demanding fair conditions and legal compliance; 3) administrations, absent in labour matters, liberal in economic and trade matters, with an extremely limited role in social matters, and completely absent with regard to housing; and 4) non-state actors, who oscillate between the dilemma of facilitating work or justice, assistance or change. Finally, the report concludes that existing policies often fail because they do not address the underlying contradictions of the agricultural model or the entrenched dynamics between actors. In addition, we see a labour and economic regime that is markedly (neo)liberal and an immigration regime that is initially closed, which together construct the ideal labour force to serve the “competitiveness” needs of the sector. Except in the realm of immigration, in labour, economic, and social matters (including housing), the state at various levels is conspicuously absent. Without addressing this fundamental issue, everything else will remain patches, band-aids, palliatives, or safety valves.