Child labour on the rise
In sub-Saharan Africa, child labour numbers rose by more than 15 million from 2016 to 2020.
There are now more children in child labour in sub-Saharan Africa (86.6 million) than in the rest of the world combined (74.4 million), with the majority working on family farms.
This according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) which added its voice to renewed calls for an end to child labour in agriculture at the fifth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour that took place in South Africa last week.
“In sub-Saharan Africa, four out of five child labourers are found working too many hours, undertaking heavy and dangerous work in crop farming, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture. Those children are not able to benefit from compulsory education. This needs to stop,” Qu Dongyu, the FAO director-general, said.
“We want children to become young people who are enthusiastic about farming and agriculture. We need educated young farmers who are innovative and can feed both their families and the world, to protect the planet and sustain peace,” he said.
Farmers
Child labour overwhelmingly occurs in agriculture, a sector that accounts for more than 70% of child labour worldwide, the organisation said.
An estimated 112 million boys and girls work long hours and often perform hazardous tasks in the sector.
Child labour - such as voluntary and forced agricultural work like cattle herding and others - is not always reported in Namibia.
The Covid-19 crisis exacerbated the situation; child labour often filled gaps in agriculture production due to movement restrictions, or compensated income loss within families.
The FAO added that household poverty remains one of the main drivers of child labour in the agricultural sector. Many families and communities feel that they have no other choice than to rely on their children to meet their needs for food and income. Children who work are likely to become the hungry of tomorrow, perpetuating the cycle of rural poverty.
“We need to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on food security, nutrition and livelihoods of the most vulnerable families,” Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO assistant director-general and regional representative said.
Act
The FAO is calling on all actors in agri-food systems to take on an active role in ending child labour.
Research institutions can contribute to building evidence, which is essential to raising awareness, initiating dialogue and designing appropriate actions, it said.
Producers’ organisations can provide services that contribute to ending the dependence of family farms and enterprises on child labour. They also can help identify and address the use of child labour in the supply chains.
Agricultural extension agents are on the frontline, interacting with farmers, fishers, livestock raisers daily, the FAO said, adding that they can address some of the root causes of child labour in agriculture by supporting shifts to improved practices and technologies.
The private sector must be more proactive and comply with human rights obligations, it said.
There are now more children in child labour in sub-Saharan Africa (86.6 million) than in the rest of the world combined (74.4 million), with the majority working on family farms.
This according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) which added its voice to renewed calls for an end to child labour in agriculture at the fifth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour that took place in South Africa last week.
“In sub-Saharan Africa, four out of five child labourers are found working too many hours, undertaking heavy and dangerous work in crop farming, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture. Those children are not able to benefit from compulsory education. This needs to stop,” Qu Dongyu, the FAO director-general, said.
“We want children to become young people who are enthusiastic about farming and agriculture. We need educated young farmers who are innovative and can feed both their families and the world, to protect the planet and sustain peace,” he said.
Farmers
Child labour overwhelmingly occurs in agriculture, a sector that accounts for more than 70% of child labour worldwide, the organisation said.
An estimated 112 million boys and girls work long hours and often perform hazardous tasks in the sector.
Child labour - such as voluntary and forced agricultural work like cattle herding and others - is not always reported in Namibia.
The Covid-19 crisis exacerbated the situation; child labour often filled gaps in agriculture production due to movement restrictions, or compensated income loss within families.
The FAO added that household poverty remains one of the main drivers of child labour in the agricultural sector. Many families and communities feel that they have no other choice than to rely on their children to meet their needs for food and income. Children who work are likely to become the hungry of tomorrow, perpetuating the cycle of rural poverty.
“We need to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on food security, nutrition and livelihoods of the most vulnerable families,” Abebe Haile-Gabriel, FAO assistant director-general and regional representative said.
Act
The FAO is calling on all actors in agri-food systems to take on an active role in ending child labour.
Research institutions can contribute to building evidence, which is essential to raising awareness, initiating dialogue and designing appropriate actions, it said.
Producers’ organisations can provide services that contribute to ending the dependence of family farms and enterprises on child labour. They also can help identify and address the use of child labour in the supply chains.
Agricultural extension agents are on the frontline, interacting with farmers, fishers, livestock raisers daily, the FAO said, adding that they can address some of the root causes of child labour in agriculture by supporting shifts to improved practices and technologies.
The private sector must be more proactive and comply with human rights obligations, it said.
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