While formulating policies on child labor in agriculture or other enterprises, we must differentiate family farms vs. commercial farms or enterprises. Children often work in family farms or home gardens after school hours to help their parents and to learn the practical aspects of food production. In some schools, they have school gardens where children participate and learn on how to grow and manage crops and it is is part of the education. Thus, voluntary participation of children in family farms or home gardens is an education process and it is vital for their full development.
In commercial farms and enterprises, children are employed to supplement the family income in poor families. Unless the poor families are elevated from their level of poverty through rural employment generation and decent wages for work by adults, it is difficult to abolish the forced child labor. The root cause is poverty and it must be addressed first before preventing forced child labor.
Thank you.
Dr. Vethaiya BALASUBRAMANIAN