CLEAR Cotton

Cotton production is heavily dependent on natural resources and labour. Unfortunately, child labour is often a part of this. The CLEAR Cotton project was launched in 2018 to support the elimination of child labour and forced labour in the cotton, textile and garment value chains in four major cotton-producing countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Pakistan and Peru.

FAO's intervention was designed to address the multidimensional aspects of child labour in cotton production. The project’s integrated approach included the promotion of small businesses to diversify and improve the livelihoods of cotton smallholder farmers and reduce their dependency on child labour. At the same time, the project sought to eradicate the systemic forms of gender-based discrimination by strengthening equitable gender norms, dynamics and systems that support gender equality. It also included a strong emphasis on school attendance.

The project was funded by the European Union and co-implemented by the International Labour Organization.

National partners included:

• Burkina Faso: National Union of Cotton Producers and OCADES Dedougou
• Mali: Alphalog, Graadecom, and the National Confederation of Cooperative Societies of Cotton Producers
• Pakistan: Potohar Organization for Development Advocacy

The two-pronged strategy included:

• Promotion of small businesses to diversify and improve the livelihoods of cotton smallholder farmers and reduce their dependency on child labour. This was achieved through the provision of training and conditional cash transfers to vulnerable households, and through the setup of Village Savings and Loan Associations and self-help groups (Pakistan).
• Advocacy, community engagement and awareness raising on the importance of school attendance and the detrimental impact of child labour. This was achieved by leveraging Farmer Field Schools, Dimitra Clubs (Burkina Faso, Mali), Women’s Open Schools and Children’s Ecological Clubs (Pakistan), agricultural extension agents, rural radios, and capacity building of cotton producers and civil society organizations. FAO also worked with school reintegration programmes for children in or at risk of child labour.

During the project implementation, FAO reached more than 10 000 men, women, youth and children. Community-level engagement activities helped improve the livelihoods of about 1 500 households across the targeted cotton-growing areas of Burkina Faso, Mali and Pakistan.

FAO interventions have enhanced awareness and strengthened the capacities of agricultural actors, including cotton-growing communities, around the risks and negative impacts of child labour, especially children’s exposure to pesticides. This led to the adoption of safer and better agricultural practices, the establishment of lists of hazardous agricultural tasks for children, and a greater appreciation of the value of boys’ and girls’ education.  

The project has also promoted livelihood diversification of rural households. As a result, the income of cotton-growing families improved, enabling them to be less dependent on their children’s work and to support their education.

Lessons learned:

• (FAO. 2022) Approche sur l’élimination du travail des enfants et le travail forcé au Burkina Faso
• (FAO. 2022) Éliminer le travail des enfants et le travail forcé dans les zones cotonnières au Mali
• (FAO. 2022) Unlocking women's capacity to become agents of change in the fight to reduce child labour in agriculture in Pakistan

Success stories:

• (FAO. 2023) Voices from cotton fields – Fighting child labour in Burkina Faso, Mali and Pakistan

Ariane Genthon, FAO Programme Officer
[email protected]