Members of the new partnership signed into existence during the ILO\'s annual International Labor Conference are: the ILO, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) and International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers\' Associations (IUF).

Worldwide, agriculture is the sector where by far the largest number of working children can be found – an estimated 70 per cent, of whom 132 million are girls and boys aged 5-14. These children are helping to produce the food and beverages we consume. Their labor is used for crops such as cereals, cocoa, coffee, fruit, sugar, palm oil, rice, tea, tobacco and vegetables. They also work in livestock raising and herding, and in the production of other agricultural materials such as cotton and cottonseed.

Agriculture is one of the most dangerous sectors and is especially perilous for children. Exposed to the same hazards as adults in agriculture, the risks to children are even greater because their bodies and minds are still developing and they lack work experience. In some cases, work begins for children as young as five, and children under 10 years account for 20 per cent of child labor in some rural areas, according to estimates by the ILO-International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC).

At the same time, the ILO stressed that not all work that children undertake in agriculture is bad for them or would qualify as work to be eliminated under Convention No. 138 or Convention No. 182. Tasks appropriate to a child\'s age and that do not interfere with a child\'s schooling and leisure time can be a normal part of growing up in a rural environment.

Many children carry out work which can threaten their lives, limbs, health and general well being. The hazards they face run the gamut from the mixing, handling and applying of toxic pesticides to using dangerous cutting tools, to working in extreme temperatures, operating powerful farm vehicles and heavy machinery and working long hours.

Child labor limits children\'s access to proper education. Lack of, or poor education, reduces their hopes for a better future. The problem is exacerbated as many agricultural child laborers are from rural families who constitute two-thirds of the world\'s poorest people.

Girls working in agriculture carry a special burden. Girl child laborers are often an invisible part of the agricultural work force and are particularly disadvantaged as they often undertake household chores prior to going to work in the fields as well as upon returning from them. The long hours of work can lead to physical and mental exhaustion, negatively impacting the health and well being of girl child laborers.

Key areas of cooperation for the new partnership are policies and activities to:
- promote the application of laws on child labor in agriculture, especially to ensure that children do not carry out hazardous work in agriculture,
- improve rural livelihoods, and mainstream child labor issues into national agricultural policies and program,
- reduce the urban, rural and gender gap in education, and
- promote youth employment opportunities in agriculture and rural areas.

"We realize that these organizations provide a unique conduit to national-level decision- and policy-makers in agricultural ministries and agricultural advisory services, and in building stronger links with farmers and agricultural workers, and their communities", explains Michele Jankanish, Director of the ILO\'s IPEC. "This partnership is particularly exciting in terms of the opportunities for greater cooperation on field-level projects, and is a really great step forward in helping these children in agriculture, their families and communities."

The ILO\'s goal with regard to child labor is the progressive elimination of all its forms worldwide, the organization said. The worst forms of child labor, which include hazardous work, commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking of children and all forms of slavery, among others, should be abolished as a priority.

The ILO launched the first World Day Against Child Labor in 2002 as a way to highlight the plight of these children. The day, which is observed on June 12, is intended to serve as a catalyst for the growing worldwide movement against child labor.

For more information
Visit the ILO website, www.ilo.org/childlabor