Combatting child labour in seasonal hazelnut harvesting continues on the third year as 2015 harvest season begins

Ministry of Labour and Social Security and ILO enters the third year on combatting child labour in seasonal hazelnut harvesting with the start of 2015 hazelnut harvest season. “Integrated Model for the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Turkey” is funded by Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Industries of Europe (CAOBISCO)

News | 18 August 2015
Students are following a tailor made education programme for their needs with complete attention. Efirli Social Support Centre

Ministry of Labour and Social Security and ILO enters the third year on combatting child labour in seasonal hazelnut harvesting with the start of 2015 hazelnut harvest season. “Integrated Model for the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Turkey” 1   is funded by Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Industries of Europe (CAOBISCO)2

“Integrated Model for the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Turkey” project started up in 2013 as a pilot project in Ordu with support of Ordu Governorship and Ordu Metropolitan Municipality .

Specific objective of the project is to contribute for elimination of worst forms of child labour in seasonal hazelnut harvesting through simultaneous activities in the East Black Sea Region and the West Black Sea region as well as selected cities in the South East Anatolian Region where seasonal agricultural workers densely populated.

Identified provinces for the project are; Ordu, Düzce, Sakarya and Şanlıurfa. Project is being carried out in Uzunisa, Efirli, Ünye Fatsa districts of Ordu Province in the East Black Sea Region, and Hendek District of Sakarya Province, Çilimli and Akçakoca districts of Düzce in the West Black Sea Region through 2015 harvest season.

Music teacher Arzu Gök contributing for the improvement of the rhythmic and mathematic intelligence by organising rhythm workshop Efirli Social Support Centre

Project aims to prevent children attending to work by ensuring that they have an uninterrupted school education when they have to travel with their working families and by developing a monitoring mechanism to contribute to elimination of worst forms of child labour at a national level for all other crops and regions.

Hundreds of students fill up the classes as temporary settlement areas in Uzunisa, Efirli, Ünye and Fatsa receives many workers due to high levels of crop. 140 students in Uzunisa, 150 in Efirli, 150 in Ünye, 190 in Fatsa were registered at social support centres on the fist week of the project and classes will be carried out until the end of the harvest season.

Tent Schools offers a useful entertaining hideaway for many children whom arrived to work with their families. Fatsa Social Support Centre

1) The overall objective of this project is to contribute elimination of worst forms of child labour (WFCL) in seasonal agriculture in line with the Turkish Government’s strategy drawn by the National Employment Strategy 2014-2023. A model has been developed through the Dutch Government and CAOBISCO funded “Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour in Seasonal Commercial Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Ordu” project 2013 and 2014. The project aims contributing to the withdrawal of children from work and prevention of at-risk children to be engaged in seasonal hazelnut agriculture. It will bring added value through the replication of the strategic intervention model in the different regions and contribute to a sustainable child labour monitoring mechanism in seasonal agriculture. The project will step up efforts to attain the goal of contributing to the policy making and efficient implementation on the elimination of WFCL in seasonal agriculture.

2) Contributing members of CAOBISCO to the ILO PPP Project: Ferrero, Nestlé, August Storck KG, Barry Callebaut, Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG, Mars incorporated, Chocosuisse, NATRA S.A., Griesson - de Beukelaer GmbH & Co., Cémoi chocolatier, Gebr. Jancke GmbH, Neuhaus NV, Stollwerck GmbH, Koenig Backmittel GmbH