Thoughts on the Regulation of Child Labor in Agriculture
Vol. 21
June 2015
Page 81
This essay draws upon my own and related research to consider the challenge of child labor in agriculture: promoting children’s best interests while reducing the hazards to which they may be exposed. It is not a literature review but rather a policy-oriented commentary on the contexts of child agricultural work and global forces that are shaping them. In particular, I argue that removing children from all agricultural work is often not in their best interests. Instead, making the contexts of work safer and more compatible with gaining the skills provided by a decent schooling experience will often be more beneficial.
A case study involving comments on U.S. regulations on child labor in agriculture includes qualitative evidence showing that children have strong opinions, based on experience, about their own agricultural labor. They and their families are convinced that farm work is in the best interests of children, and they explain their reasoning. This leads to a discussion of risks of agricultural work and the difficulties of defining what is too hazardous for children, followed by a discussion of the challenges of measuring the effects of child work on child health.
The larger context of child agricultural labor involves global and national trends that will affect children in ways that are only partially predictable. Land consolidation in developing countries, especially subSaharan Africa, will move children out of family farm work; some small fraction of them will continue agricultural work but as employees instead of family workers. Others will join other youth, who find themselves unemployed or underemployed. This situation is exacerbated by the second trend: a youth bulge resulting in 15-29 year-olds making up an unusually high proportion of many developing country populations. A third global pattern, climate change, is likely to make matters worse, when drought pushes older children and youth to migrate in search of work.
The essay ends with a discussion about how to use various policy options to improve the well-being of child agricultural workers.
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Vol. 21
June 2015
Page 81
This essay draws upon my own and related research to consider the challenge of child labor in agriculture: promoting children’s best interests while reducing the hazards to which they may be exposed. It is not a literature review but rather a policy-oriented commentary on the contexts of child agricultural work and global forces that are shaping them. In particular, I argue that removing children from all agricultural work is often not in their best interests. Instead, making the contexts of work safer and more compatible with gaining the skills provided by a decent schooling experience will often be more beneficial.
A case study involving comments on U.S. regulations on child labor in agriculture includes qualitative evidence showing that children have strong opinions, based on experience, about their own agricultural labor. They and their families are convinced that farm work is in the best interests of children, and they explain their reasoning. This leads to a discussion of risks of agricultural work and the difficulties of defining what is too hazardous for children, followed by a discussion of the challenges of measuring the effects of child work on child health.
The larger context of child agricultural labor involves global and national trends that will affect children in ways that are only partially predictable. Land consolidation in developing countries, especially subSaharan Africa, will move children out of family farm work; some small fraction of them will continue agricultural work but as employees instead of family workers. Others will join other youth, who find themselves unemployed or underemployed. This situation is exacerbated by the second trend: a youth bulge resulting in 15-29 year-olds making up an unusually high proportion of many developing country populations. A third global pattern, climate change, is likely to make matters worse, when drought pushes older children and youth to migrate in search of work.
The essay ends with a discussion about how to use various policy options to improve the well-being of child agricultural workers.