NATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE TO ERADICATE CHILD LABOUR IN AGRICULTURE

HELD IN DAR ES SALAAM SERENA HOTEL ON MAY 12- 14, 2015

“PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABILITY: TOGETHER WE CAN ERADICATE CHILD LABOUR IN AGRICULTURE".

OUTLINE:•Introduction •Policy Statements In National Agriculture Policy Of 2013 In Child Labour Mainstreaming•Youth Agricultural Strategies And Programs •Livelihood Support •Challenges •Conclusion

Child labour in Agriculture

Introduction

Agricultural sector is and will continue to remain the foundation of the economy for Tanzania.

It accounts for: 24.7 per cent of the GDP, Provides about 95 percent of food requirement Employs 74 per cent of the population

Therefore, the sector growth will have a fast and long-term impact on poverty alleviation if the employment potential will be created to enable poor people to raise their income hence reduced child labour

As poor people mainly rely on labour to earn their livelihoods, the creation of more and better employment opportunities in agriculture for both women and men is essential for poverty reduction

Policy Statements

Youth Involvement in Agriculture Ensure access to productive

resources including labour saving technologies (mechanisation equipments), surveyed land, irrigation infrastructure

The Government in collaboration with DPs and private sectors envisaged conducive environment for youths to settle in rural areas through promotion of rural development

Policy Statements Cont...

MAFC in collaboration with the MoEVT to incorporate agriculture in the education and VETA curricula

The Government in collaboration with the private sector, civil societies, youth organizations and business community shall promote the culture of entrepreneurship among youths.

Policy Statements Cont...

• Employment and Decent Work in Agriculture: Promote up-to-date age and sex-disaggregated

information on employment and labour productivity related issues in rural areas

Promote On-farm and non-farm rural activities as engines of growth and innovation in terms of attractive jobs for both women and men, in line with decent work concepts

Promote Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools (JFFLS) and Young Farmers’ Associations (YFAs)

Policy Statements Cont...

Create awareness on the benefits of productive youth employment and child labour prevention in agriculture

Promote business models that provide opportunities for small-scale producers towards aggregation of produce and developing backward and forward linkages targeting particularly rural women and youth

Policy Statements Cont...

Enhance a labour and legal enforcement framework for protection of workers and employers in the agricultural sector and the informal rural economy

Mainstreaming and integrated employment and decent work into agriculture sector development strategies and programmes(ASDS II and ASDP II).

Agricultural Youth Strategy

The MAFC developed National Strategy for Youth Involvement in Agriculture Sector (2015-2020)

Rufiji Basin Development Authority (RUBADA) under MAFC start youth camps in Ludewa and Mkongo in Morogoro.

Livelihood Support

Poverty is the major cause behind child labour.

Poor people mainly rely on labour to earn their livelihoods

Reducing poverty/child labour, MAFC under ASDP introduce: Agric. Input subsidy (Voucher) Agr. Input loans under Agric.

Input Trust Fund (AGITF) Improve agr. infrastructure

e.g. markets, cooperatives, irrigation schemes, warehouses etc..

Establish Tanzania Agr. Dev. Bank (TADB)

Challenges

inadequate employment opportunities in agriculture (which are driving people away especially youths);

poor working conditions (e.g. low pay, informality, low job security and inadequate social protection);

poor occupational health and safety; Low emphasis and awareness on child labour

concepts at MAFC

Challenges Cont…

low labour productivity particularly of women and youth;

limited access to information, markets and adequate infrastructure;

weak enforcement of labour related legislation in rural areas; and

weak inter-institutional collaboration.

Conclusion

Awareness raising and increasing knowledge on child labour elimination at national to village level

Further mainstreaming child labour concerns in ministerial plans and budget

Child labour need to be considered as cross cutting issues in all Ministerial interventions

The End.

ASANTE SANA