Labor practices in the cocoa sector of Ghana with a special focus on the role of children

8/8/2019 Labor practices in the cocoa sector of Ghana with a special focus on the role of children

1/42

Labor practices in the cocoa sector of

Ghana with a special focus on the role ofchildren

Findings from a 2001 survey of cocoa producing

households

Olivia Abenyega and James Gockowski

Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, (KNUST) Kumasi

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)

with the assistance and collaboration of:

International Labor Organization (ILO)


2/42


3/42


4/42


5/42


6/42


7/42


8/42


9/42

Labor practices in the cocoa sector of

Ghana with a special focus on the role of

children


10/42


11/42


12/42


13/42

Table 1. Spatial distribution of sample across the four principal cocoa-producing

regions of Ghana.


14/42


15/42

Table 2. Demographic profile of cocoa-producing households and cocoa revenue

share by region in Ghana, 20002001.


16/42

Table 3. Land resources by region as estimated by sampled farmers.


17/42

Table 4. Variation in agronomic and production parameters of cocoa cropping

systems across the four principal cocoa-producing regions in Ghana,

19992000 production.


18/42


19/42

2


20/42

3

Figure 1. Estimated annual labor demand by task for a representative cocoa farm produc-ing 940 kg, Ghana, 2001.

Ferment/dry

Transport

Pod breaking

Harvest

Pesticide

Clearing

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Person days of labor


21/42

Figure 2. Production trend in Ghana cocoa sector, 19802001. (Source: FAOSTAT).

Annualgrowth 3.9%

500

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

Year


22/42

Figure 3. Utilization of various labor types by cocoa-producing householdsin Ghana (n = 938).

Own labor

Paid casual

Reciprocal

Spouse

Extended family

Sharecropper

Paid salary

Family children

Paid extended family

0 20 40 60 80 100


23/42

Figure 4. Reported employment of family children by task, Ghana, 2001.

Pesticide applic

Pod breaking

Proportion of cocoa producers

Transport

Clearing

Harvesting

Drying

Fermenting

0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06


24/42

Table 5. Frequency variation in producer utilization of labor types by region,

Ghana, 20002001.

Figure 5. Households employing family children in potentially hazardous activities,Ghana, 2001.

0

0.010.02

0.03

0.04

0.05

0.06

0.07

0.08

Wester

n

Bron

gAfo

Easte

rn

Asha

nti

Wester

n

Bron

gAfo

Easte

rn

Asha

nti

Wester

n

Bron

gAfo

Easte

rn

Asha

nti

P

roportion

ofhouseholds

Pesticide appl

Clearing

Pod breakinga

a, b

b

b


25/42

4

Table 6. Frequency variation in producer utilization of labor types by producer

class, Ghana, 20002001.


26/42

Table 7. Frequency variation in producer utilization of reciprocal labor groups,

casual labor, and family child labor employment by task and size of cocoa

farm, Ghana, 20002001.


27/42

5

Table 8. Frequency variation in producer utilization of labor types by productivity

class, Ghana, 20002001.


28/42


29/42

Table 9. Frequency variation in producer utilization of labor types by household

labor endowment class, Ghana, 20002001.


30/42

< 10 years

10%Boys 46%

Girls 46%1517 years

46%44%1014 years

Figure 6. Proportion of family child labor supplied by age and gender groups, Ghana,2001.


31/42

Table 10. Employment and enrollment of household children overall labor tasks by

producer (N = 103).


32/42

Girls 1517

12%

Girls 1014 yr

35%

Boys 1014 yr

22%

Boys < 10yr

2%

Boys 1014 yr

35%

FIgure 7. Proportion of child labor for slashing cocoa farms supplied by age-gender

groups in Ghana, 2001 (n = 18).


33/42


34/42

Table 11. Mean number of casual workers employed, total value of theirremuneration, and mean remuneration per worker by labor task,Ghana, 20002001.


35/42


36/42


37/42


38/42


39/42

Annex 1. Employment and enrollment of household children in clearing/weeding by

producer (N = 18).


40/42

Annex 2. Employment and enrollment of household children engaged in pod break-

ing by producer (N = 25).


41/42

Annex 3. Employment and school enrollment of household children in transporta-

tion of cocoa beans by producer (N = 22).


42/42

Annex 4. Employment and enrollment of household children in harvesting by pro-

ducer (N = 10).

Documents

Labor practices in the cocoa sector of Ghana with a special focus on the role of children