CHILD LABOR IN AGRICULTURE - AN OBSTACLE FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN VIETNAM

Abstract

In many countries around the world, the rate of child labor in the agricultural sector is quite high. According to statistics from the International Labor Organization, up to 60% of child laborers between the ages of 5 and 17 have to work in agriculture, including farming, fishing, and animal husbandry. Of which, up to 67.5% of child laborers are unpaid family members. In Vietnam, the situation of child labor in agriculture is no exception to this general situation. The results of the 2018 national survey on child labor showed that 62.2% of child laborers participated in agricultural work such as: planting annual crops, growing fruit trees, agricultural services, fishing, and animal husbandry. Children having to participate in labor from an early age exposes them to many hazards from the working environment (chemicals, herbicides, pesticides) or have to work long hours, affecting their learning process. On January 28, 2022, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam signed and promulgated the Strategy for Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050. In particular, one of the specific goals set for 2030 is "the rate of trained agricultural workers reaching over 70%". However, the rate of child labor in the agricultural sector is quite high, leading to difficulties in rural vocational training as well as building high-quality human resources in agriculture. This is a significant obstacle to sustainable development in agriculture. This article contributes to clarifying the situation of child labor in agriculture, the challenges of this issue for the process of building sustainable agriculture in the future; thereby, proposing a number of solutions to contribute to preventing and abolishing child labor in the agricultural sector.