In global supply chains, the drivers of child labour involve a combination of structural factors. These include food insecurity, limited legal protections, poverty, exposure to the impact of climate change, and inadequate social protection, as well as a lack of decent work opportunities and limited access to quality schooling. Particular attention is needed at the level of the extraction and production of raw materials, agrifood commodities, and inputs used to manufacture final export products. Addressing the issue in the coffee industry is especially urgent, as 73 percent of the world's coffee is produced in smallholder farms, where child labour is prevalent. 

High labour demand, low farm gate prices, and hazardous agricultural practices heighten child labour risks in the coffee sector, which provides livelihoods for 20-25 million farming families and engages over 100 million people in its producing and processing countries. To address these issues, the European Commission, ILO, FAO, ITC and UNICEF have joined forces and launched the CLEAR Supply Chains project.

The initiative aims to help eliminate child labour in the coffee supply chain and leverage existing efforts in the minerals supply chain, particularly in cobalt production. The action will be implemented in selected partner countries, namely Honduras, Uganda, and Viet Nam, which are among the largest exporters of coffee to the European Union, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the world's leading producer of cobalt. Children involved in or at risk of child labour, as well as their families and communities, will directly benefit from the project.

Why FAO

Given its extensive knowledge of the agriculture sector and its longstanding experience in promoting education, decent rural employment, and inclusive transformation processes, FAO is strategically positioned to address the complex drivers of child labour in agriculture, including in the coffee sector. 

Interventions

To tackle the different dimensions of child labour in supply chains, the project adopts a holistic approach, tailored to the specific needs of the targeted areas. In particular, it will:

• Improve the knowledge base on the root causes of child labour, establishing coordination mechanisms to map national coffee supply chains and identify the main drivers of child labour to inform targeted policy interventions in coffee-producing areas.
• Establish replicable, area-based models. The project will foster policy reforms, livelihood diversification, climate-resilient agriculture, and access to education. It will also promote occupational safety and health and strengthen capacity for due diligence on child labour.
• Strengthen global partnerships and catalyse collective action through platforms like the ILO Child Labour Platform and Alliance 8.7. Emphasis will also be placed on fostering cooperation among coffee-producing and buying countries, the private sector and civil society.

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Relevant links

• The Durban Call to Action
• News: EU and UN agencies join forces to address root causes of child labour
• ILO webpage on the project