Child Labor in Agriculture: Some New Developments to an Ancient Problem

Abstract

Advocates for working children worldwide strive to eradicate the employment that minimizes a child's opportunities for education, good health and future potential. In agriculture, some promising developments in corporate social responsibility may generate partial solutions to child labor problems that have persisted for generations across world regions where food, fiber and fuel are produced. The purpose of this paper is to review these promising developments and propose recommendations in the context of a future of continued agricultural globalization and industrialization.

Work-Related Injuries with Child Labor in Iran

“…Our results showed that industrial workrooms are hazardous place for working children. In a study, Beyer 13 confirmed that agriculture was a hazardous industry for working children. It was also the most hazardous industry in the United States for young workers.…”

“…Child labor refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and In 2010, sub-Saharan Africa had the highest incidence rates of child labor, with several African nations witnessing over 50% of children, aged 5 to 14 years, working. 13 In sub-Saharan Africa, one in four children aged 5 to 17 years work, compared with one in eight in Asia Pacific and one in ten in Latin America. 14 Despite the decrease of child labor from 25 to 10% between 1960 and 2003 according to the World Bank, 13 this practice is still common in many countries.…”

Orphans in Syria and Iraq Juggling Balls: Wars, COVID-19, and the NGO’s financial crisis

“…SARS (2002–2004) and swine flu (2009–2010) pandemics also led to similar increases in mental health disorders and suicide attempts (Maalouf et al, 2021 ). Syria’s child labour problem existed before the war began, but the conflict has exacerbated it greatly (Beyer, 2012 ). Over 75% of households report that children work “jointly” or “solely” to provide for their families (UNICEF, 2021 ).…”

Measuring hazardous work and identifying risk factors for non‐fatal injuries among children working in Philippine agriculture

“…Multistakeholder initiatives, such as the 2011 US Department of Agriculture Guidelines for Eliminating Child and Forced Labor in Agricultural Supply Chains, that encourage corporate social responsibility of employers to utilize independent, thirdparty monitoring can also serve as important mechanisms to ameliorate the involvement of children in hazardous work activities [Foreign Agricultural Service, 2011;Beyer, 2012]. Interventions that teach youth about their rights in the workplace, including health and safety education, are also warranted.…”

“…Interventions that teach youth about their rights in the workplace, including health and safety education, are also warranted. Multistakeholder initiatives, such as the 2011 US Department of Agriculture Guidelines for Eliminating Child and Forced Labor in Agricultural Supply Chains, that encourage corporate social responsibility of employers to utilize independent, thirdparty monitoring can also serve as important mechanisms to ameliorate the involvement of children in hazardous work activities [Foreign Agricultural Service, 2011;Beyer, 2012]. Overall, this study underscores the importance of making the elimination of hazardous child labor in agriculture a priority and the need for further research to inform sustainable interventions.…”