Organized by the Innovation Forum, today, October 5, will take place the virtual seminar "Human rights risks in supply chains: how the sugarcane industry addresses child labor", which seeks to reflect on the degree to which the sugar industry and its supply chain is exposed to child labor and publicize some proactive procedures from the companies to deal with cases of child labor that arise.

During the event, the current state of child labor in the sugar industry will be discussed in detail, some case studies will be discussed that tell how companies have reacted to the situation of child labor in their supply chain, it will be discussed how a program Corporate remediation should include the issue of child labor in the supply chain and practical measures will be proposed to be able to implement these programs effectively in the industry.

Event day:  Wednesday, October 5, 2016-10-05

Time:  8:30 am (GTM-5)

Link for registration:  http://bit.ly/2da1nc2

Child labor in sugar production  Presentations will be given by: Armando Ortega, Director of Human and Labor Rights of The Coca-Cola Company (Mexico); Rachel Raba, Senior Research Coordinator, Department of Labor, Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking (USA); Jose Maria. Ramirez, Principal Program and Operations Officer (Americas) of the International Labor Organization (Switzerland) and Tomás Regalado, President of Fundazúcar (El Salvador).

It is a reality that the supply chains of various production sectors such as textiles, manufacturing, mining, agriculture, etc. they still harbor child labor, largely due to the fact that their complexity can make the participation of boys, girls and adolescents in the industry less visible and auditable, despite the high risk.

The sugar supply chain is one of them and the activities carried out by minors and by young people with the minimum age allowed to work in this industry are considered in many countries, a dangerous work modality. The work that the cultivation and harvesting of sugarcane demands exposes children and adolescents to dangerous conditions for their physical development, their health and even their own lives. Often times, the activities involve the transfer of heavy objects and materials, the use of sharp tools and various machinery, as well as the handling of toxic agents. On the other hand, long working hours and an increase in school absence during the harvest season are common.

Good practices and experiences of articulated work for the prevention and eradication of child labor in the sugar supply chain

Currently, many sugar companies do not tolerate the presence of child labor and have their own initiatives to address it. In Latin America and the Caribbean there are good practices in the sector, such as  " Eliminating the worst forms of child labor in the sugar sector in El Salvador: A different world is possible ",  implemented in 2003 in El Salvador. This year, the International Labor Organization (ILO) identified some additional good practices in the framework of World Day Against Child Labor 2016.

Two experiences correspond to Mexico, the first called "Zero tolerance to child labor and Bonsucro certification", carried out by the Lázaro Cárdenas Sugar Mill - Grupo Azucarero México (GAM), focused on carrying out awareness-raising and training actions as well as monitoring in the cane fields located in the sugar cane area of ​​the sugar mill, in Michoacán.

To learn more about this initiative, click  here .

The second experience bears the name of "Zero tolerance to child labor in the value chain of the sugarcane agribusiness in Mexico", executed by the National Chamber of Sugar and Alcohol Industries - CNIAA ", which is considered a sector strategy and a tool to prevent and eradicate child labor in 15 states of Mexico.

To learn more about this initiative, click  here . 

Likewise, there are experiences of articulated work between the private sector, the government and the communities, with the support of international cooperation; for example, the project  "Boys, Girls and Adolescents with Wellbeing"  as part of the "Families with Wellbeing" Program, in partnership with the ILO, ICBF and Asocaña, until 2013 in Colombia.