Child Labor & Exploitation
A core concept for understanding human rights risks and supply-chain accountability across global commodities.
Child labor is not an isolated issue. It emerges where extreme poverty, lack of education, weak labor protections, and highly unequal global trade systems intersect. Many agricultural communities receive only a small fraction of a product’s final retail price. This economic pressure forces families to rely on children for labor or accept dangerous work arrangements.
Industries most at risk include:
Cocoa
Coffee
Tea
Sugar and cane derivatives
Palm oil
Cotton and textiles
Spices (vanilla, cinnamon, turmeric)
Seafood
Mining and minerals
Across these sectors, low prices, volatile markets, and opaque supply chains can allow unsafe and exploitative practices to persist.
How Child Labor Shows Up in Global Supply Chains
Child labor is not always forced, but both arise from the same underlying issue: producers often earn far below a living income. When adults cannot earn enough to support a household, families may rely on children for labor or accept work under coercive conditions.
Typical forms of child labor include:
Carrying heavy loads
Using sharp tools or machinery
Handling agrochemicals
Clearing land or working in hazardous environments
Long hours that prevent school attendance
These practices are prevalent in remote farming regions where oversight is limited and monitoring is inconsistent.
Forced Labor & Modern Slavery
Forced labor can occur alongside or independently of child labor. It may take several forms:
Trafficking of children or young workers across regions or borders
Debt bondage, where workers cannot leave until debts—often manipulated—are repaid
Coercive recruitment by third-party labor brokers
Exploitation in remote areas with little visibility or enforcement
These abuses are symptoms of systemic issues: low farmgate prices, concentrated corporate power, and supply chains designed for low cost rather than fair compensation.
What to Look For
Look for brands and products that demonstrate real accountability, not just marketing language:
Detailed supply-chain maps with named cooperatives or farms
Living-income reference pricing or published premiums showing what they pay producers
Independent, third-party certifications that address human rights (Fairtrade International, Fair for Life, etc.)
Direct Trade, Transparent Trade, or Origin-Made models with closer relationships and oversight
Independent verification, not just company-run “responsibility programs”
Public reporting on progress, audits, goals, and outcomes
What to Avoid
Avoid brands that rely on:
Vague statements like “committed to ending child labor” without transparency or proof
No origin disclosure, making conditions impossible to verify
Corporate self-certification programs without independent oversight
Ultra-cheap products, which rarely provide living incomes and often correlate with high labor risk