The COVID-19 consequences on child labour in agrifood systems

Draws on case studies from seven countries covering different production systems, including fisheries in the Philippines and cattle farming in Ethiopia. The paper reveals that the combination of lower participation in school, increased poverty, and pre-existing situations of economic fragility led to an increase in child labour in agriculture.

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This paper provides insights and evidence on how the COVID-19 pandemic and related policy responses to curb its spread influence the risk of child labour in agriculture through different pathways. It draws on case studies from seven countries covering different production systems: Cãte d'Ivoire (cocoa), Ethiopia (cattle keeping and farming), (Lebanon (horticulture and greenhouse farms), the Philippines (municipal fisheries), and Viet Nam (crop farming, livestock, and citrus fruit chains). Based on these evidence, the document provides concluding reflections and recommendations on priority areas regarding knowledge generation and data collection, policy responses (social protection, education), and household- and community-level response