Background Paper | Reducing Child Labour in Agriculture in Humanitarian Contexts

In 2020, 155 million people in 55 countries/regions were in crisis or worse – an increase of about 20 million people from 2019. In addition, children around the world are negatively affected by worsening education opportunities and the socioeconomic impacts of measures to stop the transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The impacts on agriculture and food systems of these often-compounding shocks and crises drive millions of people to lose their livelihoods and result in a lack of sufficient and nutritious food. In fact, the latest global estimates on child labour suggest that a further 8.9 million children will be in child labour globally by the end of 2022 because of rising poverty and hunger driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This document, realized in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture the Association of the UN and the Alliance, provides information on the challenges and consequences of conflict, fragility and disaster and the opportunities for action against child labour in agriculture in humanitarian contexts.