Child labour remains a complex issue requiring a deep understanding of the challenges faced by communities on the ground. In 2023, we launched the first phase of the “Strengthening Child Protection Systems of Cocoa Cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire” project. This initiative included comprehensive field research to identify the root causes of child labour within Transparence Cacao communities. From these communities, four cooperatives consisting of 2,289 cocoa famers were selected based on their commitment to addressing child labour and their diverse levels of experience, challenges, and available resources. Using a bottom-up approach, we prioritized direct engagement through field visits, listening to farmers, cooperatives, and stakeholders to better tailor our interventions. Aside poverty, the communities identified other root causes for child labour. These include cultural habits, inadequate / remote schools, a lack of knowledge about the right information about child labour, lack of birth certificates, inadequate awareness strategies and lack of human resources to address child labour. One of the key factors has also been the gaps in Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS) which has resulted in ineffective monitoring and insufficient remedial actions to address the root causes of child labour.
Building on the findings and progress of phase one, we initiated the second phase of the project (2025–2027). This phase expands the program to include five additional cooperatives, enabling us to implement targeted actions that strengthen CLMRS or equivalent systems. In total 9 cooperatives are included in the project, which have 11815 members of which 7.4% are female farmers.
Key activities for this phase include:
- Raising Awareness: Organizing sessions for farmers, cooperative staff, children, and schoolteachers to promote understanding and prevention of child labour.
- ‘Children First’ Plans: Collaborating with cooperatives to develop actionable plans to implement or enhance their CLMRS and provide remediation support for vulnerable children and identified cases of child labour.
- Women’s Empowerment: Supporting women in vulnerable producer households with financial education and participation in Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to improve household income and reduce economic pressures.
Our ultimate goal is to refine and expand this approach to all Transparence Cacao cooperatives, creating a comprehensive strategy for a child-labour-free supply chain. By empowering communities and fostering sustainable solutions, we are working toward a brighter future for children and cocoa-growing families in Côte d’Ivoire.
We work together with Afrique Secours et Assistance (ASA), which is an Ivorian NGO with over 25 years experience adressing child labour in Cote d’Ivoire. More information here: https://www.ong-asa.net/article/37
This project is made possible through the subsidy provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, through their ‘Fund against Child Labour’. For more information: Fonds Bestrijding Kinderarbeid (FBK) | RVO.nl
