Child Labor in the Sugarcane Industry in Paraguay

ICF Macro, Inc.

Child Labor in the Sugarcane Industry in Paraguay

Abstract

[Excerpt] ICF Macro carried out a survey of sugarcane-producing areas in Paraguay for the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) between July and August, 2011. The main population of interest consisted of children from 5 to 17 years of age who were involved in the cultivation or harvesting of sugarcane for human consumption. The primary objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of children working in the sugarcane industry in Paraguay and to obtain representative information on the working conditions of these children, with a focus on workplace hazards. To collect these data, ICF Macro conducted a quantitative household survey in the main sugarcane-producing departments of Paraguay, including Guairá, Caaguazú, Paraguarí, Caazapá, and Cordillera. The survey collected information from households involved in sugarcane-related activities (sugarcane households), as well as households whose main economic activity was agriculture but were not involved in sugarcane-related activities (reference households). The household survey included both interviews with adult informants about the household and its members, as well as interviews with all the children 5–17 years of age living in the household. A total of 596 sugarcane households, 406 reference households, and 1,135 children were interviewed. The data obtained from the household survey were complemented with worksite observations in 47 sugarcane farms where children were found to be working.

Date Issued

2012-08-01

Keywords

child labor; Paraguay; sugarcane production; workplace hazards

Types

unassigned