SCDigest
Editorial Staff
SCDigest Says: |
While no one is in favor of child labor in a general sense, the scenario is not as clean as various corporate ethics policies may make it seem.
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As watchdog group pressure continues to be strong on the offshore supply chains of Western companies in terms of environmental issues (see Will Environmental Groups Target Western Companies over Pollution Issues in Chinese Manufacturing?) and “Fair Trade” labor pay and conditions, many of these Western companies may unknowingly be dependent, in part, on child labor to produce their products, especially in the agricultural sector.
What to do about it? That’s a tougher question.
A few weeks ago, a Forbes magazine cover story said there was more child labor involved in offshore countries than many Western companies realize – or, in some cases, probably they would just prefer not to know.
“Every time you buy an imported handmade carpet, an embroidered pair of jeans, a beaded purse, a decorated box or a soccer ball, there's a good chance you're acquiring something fashioned by a child,” the Forbes article noted. “Such goods are available in places like GapKids, Macy's, ABC Carpet & Home, Ikea, Lowe's and Home Depot.”
But, while no one is in favor of child labor in a general sense, the scenario is not as clean as various corporate ethics policies may make it seem. The 20 cents per hour a child laborer may earn working in the agricultural sector in India can be an important contribution to a family income that is barely enough to keep a subsistence lifestyle. Take it away, and the family falls into deeper poverty.
Laws in most low-cost countries prohibit child labor (generally defined as under the age of 14), with some exceptions in the agricultural sector. But local authorities often look the other way. That means an 11-year old child may be working long hours in an Indian cotton field to harvest a crop that eventually finds its way into a t-shirt on a major US retail chain’s shelf.
The UN International Labor Organization estimates that 7 out of 10 child laborers today work in the agricultural sector, versus just 9% in manufacturing, as greater focus and enforcement in the past 15 years has greatly reduced the number of kids toiling in factories in Asia and elsewhere.
(Sourcing
and Procurement Article - Continued Below)
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