Image: Bright with his family, receiving school supplies. Photo Credit Olam Food Ingredients (ofi)
Rainforest Alliance and ofi piloted the Assess-and-Address (A&A) system to tackle child labor in Ghana cocoa farming. The A&A system incentivizes farmers to form committees to identify and mitigate child labor risks and put in place a remediation plan. The system complements ofi's Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System and includes a grievance mechanism and human rights awareness raising. Robust systems, farmer training, and community engagement are key to success.
“Some problems are just too complex for a simple solution. When it comes to human rights abuses, a punitive approach can drive the problem underground, making it even harder to address.”
As a human rights specialist at the Rainforest Alliance, I have learned that creating an environment where farming communities feel supported to speak up about abuses—without the threat of punishment—is more likely to result in cases of child labor being reported. And when that happens, the private and public sectors can work side-by-side with rural communities to not only mitigate abuses as they are uncovered but also take action to prevent them from happening in the first place.
That’s why, in 2021, the Rainforest Alliance asked ofi, who we have partnered with since 2010, to help us pilot a new approach to tackling child labor with two groups of cocoa farmers in Ghana. It’s called the ‘Assess-and-Address’ (A&A) system, and it’s supported by a strong grievance mechanism requirement.
The system, a requirement of the Rainforest Alliance 2020 Certification Program, incentivizes farmers to form A&A committees, uncover the root causes of child labor on farms and put a tailored plan in place to remediate suspected cases. Some farmers have already dubbed the system “expose it, resolve it, end it” in the local Twi language.
The pilot looked at how we could complement ofi’s existing and locally implemented Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLRMS) with our A&A system to deliver maximum impact on the ground.
Here are three things we learned in the process:
It’s not just child labor issues that the A&A system can help solve. There is also a grievance and redress mechanism for farmers and workers to report any human rights abuses in their communities. For instance, in 2021, two cases of farmworkers not being paid were successfully addressed, demonstrating to others that it’s worth reporting issues instead of keeping them hidden.
Changing commonly-held perceptions takes time, so it’s crucial to have a constant dialogue to create a lasting impact. For example, giving committee members a weekly or monthly stipend, travel allowance, or in-kind benefits, encourages them to be part of the solution by raising awareness and helping to solve child labor issues.
By the end of 2021, the Rainforest Alliance had trained 2,000 cocoa farmers in Ghana on human rights and child labor issues. The A&A system combined with ofi’s CLMRS gives us a solid foundation that puts farmer groups in the driving seat of their communities and helps shape our approach for the future.
Business Fights Poverty is proud to be a Founding UK B Corp.
© 2021 Business Fights Poverty. The Business Fights Poverty logo and tree device are registered trademarks. View Terms and Conditions.
