Today is being observed as World Day Against Child Labour andaccording to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the focus this yearwill be on the elimination of child labour in agriculture.
According to a statement issued yesterday, the inter-national body has joined forces with five key international agricultural organisations to launch a new landmark global partnership to tackle child labour in agriculture.
The partnership was signed during the ILO’s annual conference,which is now on in Geneva, Switzerland.Â
Global partnership
Members of the partnership include the Food and Agriculture Organisation, International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Food Policy Research Institute of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, among others.
The ILO said, worldwide, agriculture is the sector with the largest number of children, with an estimated 132 million boys and girls between ages five and 14. They account for 70 per cent of all children engaged in child labour. These children are helping to produce the food and beverages we consume. Their labour is used for crops such as cereals, cocoa, coffee, fruit, sugar, palm oil, rice, tea, tobacco and vegetables, said the ILO.
