FAO.org

Child labour is a major concern in many parts of the world and it is estimated that there are some 215  million child labourers worldwide. Aggregate data indicate that about 60 per cent of child labourers  – that is over 129 million children – work in agriculture, including fisheries and aquaculture. While  there are limited disaggregated data on child labour specifically related to fisheries and aquaculture,  case-specific evidence points to significant numbers. Children engage in a wide va riety of activities  in capture fishing, aquaculture and all associated operations (processing, marketing and other postharvest  activities), as well as in upstream [...]

Chronic youth underemployment and poverty can be attributed to young people’s limited access to skills development opportunities. To address this challenge, FAO has developed the Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools (JFFLS) methodology. JFFLS is an innovative approach that trains vulnerable rural youth in the agricultural, business and life skills needed to earn a decent living, and to become more productive and active members of their communities. This 16-module training material help to teach vulnerable children and young people about farming and how to take care of themselves. 

Childrens participation in their own family farm activities helps them learn valuable skills and contribute  to the generation of household income, which has a positive impact on their livelihoods. Such participation is important for children and builds their self-esteem. Because of poverty, the breakdown of the family, the demand for cheap labour, family indebtedness,  household shocks due to HIV and other reasons, many younger children end up doing work that  poses a risk to their physical and psychological development or to their right to formal education. The prevention and mitigation of child labour has always been an implicit element of [...]