How Can Digitalization Curb Child Labor in Agriculture?

• As agriculture accounts for the bulk of child labor globally and the numbers are constantly increasing, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is ready to step up its work with partners on eliminating child labor.
• There is also the latest initiative unveiled today that maps out ways of using innovative blockchain technology for monitoring and prevention. 

So, this is the content piece that will let people explore the overall potential application of innovative technologies to improve data collection and risk estimation of child labor in the cocoa sector. It is also something that accesses the potential role of blockchain technology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in collecting and sharing data on cocoa-growing areas. 

How Much Child Labor in Agriculture is Rising? 

So, by the year 2025, the sustainable development goal target is 8.7, which aims at the elimination of child labor. But, as per the latest reports and records, it was indicated that more than 160 million children worldwide are still engaged in child labor, with 86.6 million of them in sub-Saharan Africa. 

There are more child laborers in the rest of the world combined. If we talk globally, there were 70% of children found in child labor in agriculture between the years 2016 and 2020. Also, it would be shocking to know that an additional four million girls and boys were also reported to be involved in child labor in agriculture. 

How Can Digitalization Curb Child Labor in Agriculture?

So, it is very important to note that FAO and different agriculture stakeholders have critical responsibility alongside partner organizations to work to address the particular problem. Despite decades of interventions since the ratification of the Harkin Engel protocol to eliminate child labor in the entire cocoa sector, as the per latest reports, it is reported that child labor is increasing rather than decreasing. 

This is also the trend and it has had detrimental effects on children’s lives, health, and education, and perpetuated the cycle of poverty as a result. So, if someone wants to break this trend it is very important to expand and improve current methods of tracking the incidence of child labor by exploring more and more sustainable ways to support rural families so that they can keep their children out of child labor. 

Now, to end this technology, different digital innovations and digitalization should play a role in reducing and improving living standards in developing countries. People also need to make sure that they participate and get engaged, depending not only on their perception of the advantages of farming but also on the different problems that impact the adoption and use of various information and communication technologies. 

FAO is also the one who has established the Child Labor in Agriculture Prevention Facility in line with the focus on increasing investments in different rural areas. It also attracted small-scale producers. 

Conclusion 

Lastly, people need to make sure that there is also a landmark document that was adopted at the 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labor on May 20, 2022. Also, the FAO’s long-lasting advocacy efforts helped to ensure that ending child labor in agriculture was a top priority in the document.