Abidjan – The international organization, Fairtrade, in a statement, calls on governments, companies and international bodies to invest more resources and provide safe means to protect children trapped in child labour.

According to the organization, the COVID-19 crisis is a disaster for millions of children. “School closures, coupled with limits on migrant labor, mean that boys and girls are more vulnerable to child labor. If parents are infected with the virus, children and young people, especially girls, may end up taking on greater responsibilities for the survival of their families,” Fairtrade worries.

In the longer term, the economic downturn will drive even more people into poverty and, therefore, more children into child labour. Child labor is driven by complex interrelated factors of poverty, exploitation and discrimination, the organization explains.

Fairtrade believes that the best way to eradicate extreme poverty is to pay farmers and workers a fair price for their crops. "We strive to achieve decent incomes, for example by setting income and decent wage criteria, promoting collective agreements and protecting farmers from market fluctuations via the minimum fair trade price", notes this organization involved in the certification of cocoa.

The new Fairtrade Producer Relief Fund provides essential funding for producer organizations to invest in the safety and livelihoods of producers and their families, for example in temporary payment of wages for suspended workers or health care. emergency health care, reducing the risk of children having to work to support their families.

According to this organization, “producer organizations can also use the Fairtrade Premium more flexibly for immediate needs related to COVID-19. The food parcels have been particularly vital for families where a school lunch was their child's only meal of the day.

Looking ahead, the organization says, a new Producer Resilience Fund is intended to support longer-term economic interventions, including tailored programs to address human rights risks in chains valuable.

“If the Sustainable Development Goal to end child labor by 2025 is not to turn into a dream, we must all commit to working together to protect children and rebuild a more sustainable, fair and inclusive economy. in the wake of COVID-19. Millions of children and young people are counting on us to act decisively now.