The Slaves of Champagne

An in-depth investigation by a team of international journalists has now revealed that some producers are relying on dubious service providers who treat their workers from Asia, Africa, and Europe like slaves and cheat the French welfare state out of millions of euros.

In 2022, the value of Champagne bottles shipments exceeded 6 billion euros for the first time. A total of 326 million bottles were produced. The main markets are the USA, the United Kingdom, Japan, Italy and Germany. The industry's success is also due to a large foreign workforce, most of whom are seasonal workers numbering around 120,000. According to the Federation of the Champagne Industry, during the 2017 Champagne harvest, for the very first time, the workload of the external workers from abroad exceeded that of French workers. According to some trade union representatives and other experts, the proportion of foreigners is increasing, with some estimating it at around 2/3. Many of them are recruited through service providers. There are hundreds of them.

In recent years, there have been several reports of modern slavery in Champagne, many of them linked to service providers. Today, the problem can no longer be ignored. In September, five pickers died in circumstances that are still partly under investigation. In the same month, at least four worker' collective centers, including illegal campsites, were closed by the authorities. In this context, two investigations were opened by the public prosecutor's office in Champagne for “trafficking in human beings”. Workers without papers, without contracts, and malnourished were housed in collective centres in unhygienic conditions. In addition, specialised French investigators in Lille are currently looking into a criminal scheme between France and Bulgaria involving a service provider to the Champagne industry. The social damage caused by this scheme alone is estimated at several million euros.

The Champagne Leaks investigation shows that some champagne producers also work with dubious suppliers who profit from vulnerable people such as asylum seekers. It's not just a few isolated cases over the years. There have been thousands of victims, including many Asian nationals, some from Afghanistan, and others from Sri Lanka and India. During months of research, the team obtained classified court documents and other confidential information from European investigators indicating that many companies are involved in this kind of affair. Exclusive testimony from victims and industry insiders sheds light on highly questionable working and living conditions for not just a few, but for a large number of foreign workers. This fact has been kept secret until now.

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