Deep-dive: child labour
One of the social risks still prevalent in various supply chains is child labour. When children work, they can't go to school and are less likely to grow up healthy. According to UNICEF, 160 million children are working worldwide, of which 70% are in agriculture. 79 million children are engaged in hazardous work that seriously harms their health and development.
Child labour: a real risk
There are three different forms of child labour:
- Children under the age of 12 who are working.
- Children between the ages of 12 and 14 engaged in heavy work.
- Children under the age of 18 who are involved in hazardous work.
In the mining, textile, and agricultural sectors, child labour is prevalent, but it's not limited to these industries. While children helping on their parents' farm after school may not be considered child labour. However, if they are not attending school regularly and working with hazardous tools, it is child labour and very concerning.
Child labour is thus a real risk and can occur in different supply chains of Dutch companies. Companies can either cause child labour, contribute to it or be directly linked to it. It's important to thoroughly investigate whether child labour could occur in your company's supply chains.
A few examples of child labour are:
- Children who pick tea, cocoa, coffee beans, hazelnuts, and fruit.
- Children who work in small family-owned businesses in the textile sector.
- Children who work in gold or mica mines.
Useful tools
- The document ‘Fund against Child Labour (FBK), lessons learnt’ provides practical insights on tackling child labour.
- The organisation Kids Rights annually publishes the Kids Rights Index, which shows on a country-by-country basis to what extent children’s rights are respected.
- Learn more about child labour and forced labour in the food supply chain in this Webinar by the SER.
- The Responsible Mica Initiative focuses specifically on fair, responsible and sustainable mica supply chains in Bihar & Jharkhand (India).
- The OECD’s ‘Business Handbook on Due Diligence in the Cocoa Sector: Addressing Child Labour and Forced Labour’ supports companies in identifying, avoiding and addressing child labour and forced labour in the cocoa sector.
- This risk analysis provides insights into the risk of child labour in the mining and processing of black granite in Telangana and sandstone in Rajasthan, India.
Homework assignment
After this assignment, you will have a good overview of which ingredients/ raw materials have an actual or potential risk of child labour.
- In module 3, you created an Excel file with the main ingredients/ raw materials and their origins. In this file, add a column called "Risk Child Labour”.
- Examine whether child labour can play a role in the supply chain of each ingredient/raw material using the CSR Risk Checker and relevant sector reports. It may also be helpful to see what other players in your industry report regarding risks.