Question 7 - Cross-sectoral policies and strategies - Addressing hazardous child labour and reducing risks posed by hazardous pesticides.
Thank you for this online consultation.
As part of the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat in FAO (AGPMR), I would like to stress the importance of the close inter-departmental and multi-disciplinary collaboration which led to several activities carried out together with the Child Labour in Agriculture Prevention team over the last decade. Great attention was given to raise awareness on child labour, to promote decent work conditions and occupational safety and health measures in agriculture while simultaneously encouraging the implementation of safe and sustainable practices in agriculture.
Good results have been achieved to detect cases of pesticide poisoning in the field and identify high-risk exposure scenarios, with a focus on vulnerable groups, considering that not everyone is equally exposed to hazardous pesticides for biological, social and economic reasons. Currently, 71% of all child labour is found in agriculture and nearly half of all child labour globally is considered hazardous work, including handling pesticides. Children are still developing their mind and body and can be particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of hazardous pesticides. Children may be exposed to pesticides directly by applying and mixing them or indirectly while working or playing in the field recently sprayed with pesticides or at home, where pesticides are unsafely stored.
Guidances and capacity building materials were jointly developed to this regard such as the facilitator’s visual tool “Protect children from pesticides!” and the e-learning course on “Pesticide management and child labour prevention”. Global awareness with a broader audience was also raised in international congresses in the field of occupational health and safety where OSH practitioners and experts from academia from all around the world gathered to share their experience and knowledge addressing the key OSH challenges and solutions. In those occasions, the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat together with the Child Labour in Agriculture Prevention team presented their work in addressing risks posed by hazardous pesticides and reducing child labour in the agricultural sector. In addition, great emphasis was also given in several specific side events on highly hazardous pesticides and children exposure during the Conference of the Parties of the Rotterdam Convention held every two years together with the other two multilateral environmental agreements on hazardous chemicals and wastes (Basel and Stockholm Conventions) that gather together pesticide experts, agricultural and environmental stakeholders, industries, NGOs and academia.
Facilitating dialogue and cooperation among various national stakeholders (Ministries of agriculture, environment, labour, pesticides control boards, NGOs, farmers) and raising awareness at multiple level are essential components for addressing child labour issue and making agricultural policies and regulations sensitive to health and safety in the interest of children and youth. This is a continuous challenge that pose new (and old) questions to policy-makers, agricultural and labour stakeholders etc. Improved pesticide risk reduction strategies can contribute to the prevention of child labour, including protecting those of legal age to work.
It is worth mentioning the example of the revised International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management FAO-WHO (2013) which pays greater attention to vulnerable groups, with specific recommendations for governments and industries with regards to children and child labourers. Children under the age of 18 should not be handling pesticides – and that this should be included in national hazardous work lists of work prohibited for children.
The international regulatory mechanisms can play an important role to address child labour and hazardous work at country level. The Rotterdam Convention, with its objective to protect human health and the environment from the risks posed by pesticides and industrial chemicals, establishes a “right to know”, relating to sharing information concerning hazardous chemicals in trade, and provides technical assistance to national stakeholders on different aspects of pesticide management, by integrating the challenge of reducing child labour and protecting children, youth and the environment. Its work ensures that policy makers get aware of risks farmers face by the use of hazardous pesticides (also when it refers to hazardous work for the most vulnerable people) and can take informed regulatory actions.
Ms. Nadia Correale
Everyone has a role to play in ending child labour in agriculture. This includes different ministries in charge of agriculture and rural development, labour and health, agricultural extension workers, pesticide control boards, researchers, producers’ organizations, farmers, etc.
Child labour is defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and/or interferes with their schooling. Hazardous child labour is work that is performed by children in dangerous and unhealthy conditions. Children below the age of 18 years must be protected from hazardous work. Handling and using pesticides is considered hazardous work and is not allowed below the age of 18. Children are particularly vulnerable and can be exposed to hazardous pesticides directly and indirectly.
The FAO Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention and the Child Labour in Agriculture Prevention team within the Decent Rural Employment team in ESP have established a long-term collaboration. Different approaches have been carried out in addressing hazardous child labour in agriculture and reduce the risks of pesticides at institutional and field level: a) by supporting knowledge generation, capacity development as well as livelihood enhancement schemes to allow families to be less economically dependent on the labour of their children and prioritize education and safe, age-appropriate tasks; b) by raising awareness among various stakeholders on the issue; c) by collecting data on pesticide poisoning and improving the legal framework on pesticide management.
Two publications on occupational safety and health, child labour reduction and pesticide exposure were published in March 2021 providing an array of information, useful tools and case studies: