If you are interested in learning more about the topics that were addressed in the V International Virtual Seminar "Prosperity without sacrifices: building supply chains free of child labor", we invite you to download the presentations and the regional experiences developed. 

Here is a brief summary of each of them. 

• "Production and supply chains: challenges for the eradication and prevention of child labor"

Speaker: Merten Sievers, specialist in Value Chain Development and Entrepreneurship Training for Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) at the ILO 

According to Merten Sievers, the complex working mechanics of the chain, which aims to achieve greater productivity and competitiveness for the business, leads to lower costs and use cheaper labor such as child labor and despite the fact that the company does not intend to Having children working, this becomes a difficult reality for them to control. As a result, Sievers says, child labor and some of its worst forms can become invisible in supply chains. Therefore, among the main challenges is the identification and analysis of the contact points of the different markets and combating poverty through the development of instruments of economic inclusion for families.

Find the full presentation here.

Merten Sievers promotional video

• Contribution of the private sector to the eradication of child labor

Speaker: Diana Chávez, director of the Regional Center for Latin America and the Caribbean in support of the United Nations Global Compact 

For Diana Chávez, companies must ensure that the issue of child labor is one of the priorities in the strategy. The small, medium and large companies that address it will generate a positive impact on the economic growth of the region and for its operations. Along these lines, companies must identify their role as an economic actor and how they can enhance the actions of the State around this reality in which 12.5 million children and adolescents live.

Find the full presentation here.

Promotional video of Diana Chávez

• Regional experiences

1. "Açaí without child labor: a story forged in the Amazon" 

Executing institution: Coca Cola Brasil

Contact person:  Luiz André Soares - Sustainability and Shared Value Manager

Açaí without child labor is a strategy of the “Colectivo Floresta” program, which was born in 2013 and is part of Coca-Cola Brazil's Shared Value Collective Platform, which aims to generate benefits throughout the entire value chain of the company, guaranteeing a sustainable chain, with a traceability approach.

To learn more about this good practice, click here.

Promotional video by Luiz André Soares

2. "Zero tolerance to child labor and BONSUCRO Certification in Mexico"

Executing institution: Ingenio Azucarero Lázaro Cárdenas - Grupo Azucarero México (GAM)

Contact person: Mario René Hernández - Quality Management Manager

Ingenio Lázaro Cárdenas, in addition to awareness-raising and training actions, created a monitoring procedure to ensure that there are no children and adolescents working in the cane-supplying fields, particularly those who have been certified by BONSUCRO.

The practice began in the human resources area and later moved to the Quality Management area, since the BONSUCRO certification seeks to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of sugar production.

To learn more about this good practice, click here.

Promotional video of Mario René Hernández

3. Zero tolerance of child labor in the sugarcane agribusiness value chain in Mexico

Executing institution: National Chamber of the Sugar and Alcohol Industries - CNIAA

Contact person: Maximiliano Camiro - Legal Director of the Chamber

The good practice of the National Chamber of Sugar and Alcohol Industries (CNIAA) is part of a program called "Declaration of zero tolerance to child labor in the value chain of the sugarcane agribusiness in Mexico", a strategy sectoral, which translates into a policy and a tool to prevent and eradicate child labor.

To learn more about this good practice, click here. 

Attentive! Soon, we will be publishing three new regional experiences.