Despite a solid legal framework, labour exploitation seems to be “the way of production” in the Italian agricultural sector, built around the goal of cutting costs and maximising profits through underpayment of  wages. The paper aims to provide a  picture of the phenomenon, overcoming  a stereotypical perception of victims while challenging the assumption that criminal law is the panacea. The article is divided in four sections. After an introduction of the issues at stake, official statistics on recorded crime are presented and their reliability discussed. In the second section Italy is at the centre of the reflection  to provide tangible cases within a global perspective, at the intersection of labour market and migration policies. The third section investigates who is a victim of labour exploitation. Subsequently, the concept of corporate crime is introduced. Finally, specific policy recommendations are made for strengthening the currently available redress, leaving criminal law tools as the last resort.