Is worker exploitation a symptom of a bigger problem?

For some farm businesses, it is no doubt all too easy to turn a blind eye when the contracted labour hirer is handling the staff.

But it is still wrong.

The issues associated with this problem both directly and indirectly are multiple: vulnerable workers being taken advantage of, jobs lost to overseas employees, farm margins squeezed ever so tightly and an end consumer feeling duped when they thought they were doing the right thing buying Australian grown produce.

There is also a lack of transparency around labour hirers, which shows a failure of governance on the issue.

While plenty of people are jumping to say the right things about how wrong the situation is, little is being done to address the other "elephants in the room" - the high cost and difficulty of finding local labour, the "level playing field" producers are supposedly competing on, the ease at which the system can be ripped off and the pressure to produce cheap, but quality produce demanded by Australian consumers.

What we're seeing is the vulnerable copping the cost of a broader societal problem.

It's a cocktail ripe for exploitation.

Voice of Horticulture's proposal for a green card that workers can carry to show they can work here legally, as well as providing a contact for the fair work ombudsman and information about their rights is a start.

However, people who are reasonably aware of their rights are already being ripped off, so a card probably isn't going to make a huge difference.

Furthermore, this is putting the responsibility of policing these shonky operators into the hands of the vulnerable, when it should be with those who can stop the situation from occurring in the first place.

The best practice scheme which includes compliance to be developed by the National Farmers Federation sounds like it has better potential.

Perhaps the green card concept might have more legs within such a framework, but to really stamp out the issue and show Australian grown produce is ethically produced, greater transparency around the labour contractors will be necessary.