Fairtrade and child labour in Ghana's cocoa sector : challenges, gaps and recommendations

Abstract

In spite of the numerous interventions put in place by the Government of Ghana, international development agencies and other relevant bodies such as Fairtrade to eradicate child labour in Ghana’s cocoa sector, it continues to be a significant problem in cocoa production. This research paper aims to explore the main reasons for the persistent occurrences of child labour in cocoa and the role of Fairtrade in ensuring the eradication of child labour in Ghana’s cocoa sector. The research identifies explicitly various causes of child labour in Ghana’s cocoa by reviewing relevant academic and grey literature in the area. It provides a critical assessment of the role of Fairtrade in eradicating child labour. The research paper also relied on data from fifteen (15) key informant interview respondents comprising five (5) officials from Fairtrade West Africa and International Cocoa Initiative, and ten (10) Fairtrade certified cocoa farmers from three selected cocoa growing areas in the Western, Eastern and Brong Ahafo Regions of Ghana. The paper concludes that poverty, the lack of awareness among cocoa farmers and cocoa-growing communities about child labour policies, inadequate educational infrastructure in cocoa growing communities, and other socio-cultural factors are the leading causes of child labour in Ghana’s cocoa sector. It examines how Fairtrade interventions, namely technical training and support for farmers, provision of educational infrastructure in cocoa-growing areas, and the sensitization of farmers and community members about child labour policies, are helping fight child labour in Ghana’s cocoa sector. It concludes by recommending an increase in Fairtrade premiums and prices, technical training and support for cocoa farmers, educational infrastructure and scholarships in cocoa-growing areas and the sensitization of cocoa farmers and communities.