More than half a million child labourers in Indian seed production
More than half a million children in India below 18 years are growing cottonseed and vegetable seeds under hazardous conditions, including very long working hours and exposure to pesticides. These are some key outcomes of two new field-based research studies that where published today by the India Committee of the Netherlands, the International Labour Rights Forum and the campaign ‘ Stop Child Labour - School is the best place to work’.
Around 230.000 of them are below 14 years of age. They produce the seed on the land of small and marginal farmers to which multinational and Indian seed companies have outsourced their hybrid seed production. Both studies by Dr. Davuluri Venkateswarlu covered more than 90% of total Indian cotton and vegetable production in the states of: Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for cottonseed and Gujarat, Karnataka en Maharashtra for tomato, pepper, okra and brinjal (egg-plant) seeds.
Some multinationals have not done any substantial against child labour
Multinationals like Dupont, Dow AgroSciences, Bejo Sheetal, Advanta en US Agri as well as Indian companies have not done any substantial against child labour yet. The report shows that some seed companies are relocating and expanding their cottonseed production to remote areas and small family-based where cheap labour is more easily available.
Situation improved
Situation improved where government, ngos and companies intervened. Child labour below 14 in cottonseed production, though still a huge problem, has decreased in India with 25%. The decline is much more in areas where the MV Foundation (an NGO) and companies like Bayer and Monsanto have made efforts to eliminate it. The proportion of child labour to the total work force on farms producing cottonseed for Bayer and Monsanto has dropped from nearly 53% in 2004 to less than 3% in 2010. Agricultural wages is those areas have gone up. But generally official minimum wages are not paid, especially to women who generally earn 50 to 60% less then men. Children earn even less.
Gender and caste discrimination
The report also deals with gender and caste discrimination of the workers. Around 75% of the work is done by women and especially girls. Women not only are paid much less for the same work, they often work longer hours for it. Dalits, the so-called ‘untouchables’ and Adivasi (tribals) constitute in most states the majority of the workers. Dalits are frequently being ill-treated and expected to do additional work like cleaning the cattle shed and carrying loads.
Appeal
ICN, ILRF and Stop Child Labour are appealing to the companies involved, the Indian government, the International Labour Organization and others to address the issue of child labour and serious violations of this large group of workers with utmost urgency.
You can find the reports here: http://www.indianet.nl/english.html and http://www.laborrights.org or take a look below this article.
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