A child helps her parents work on a palm oil plantation in Sabah, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 10, 2018. They are two young girls from two very different worlds, linked by a global industry that exploits an army of children.
Olivia, who earned a badge for selling more than 600 boxes of cookies, had spotted palm oil as an ingredient on the back of one of her packages, but was relieved to see a green tree logo next to the words "certified sustainable." She assumed that meant her Thin Mints and Tagalongs weren't harming rainforests, orangutans or those harvesting the orange-red palm fruit.
With little or no access to daycare, some young children in both countries follow their parents to the fields. In some cases, an entire family may earn less in a day than a $5 box of Girl Scout Do-si-dos. In much smaller neighbouring Malaysia, a newly released government report estimated more than 33,000 children work in the industry there -- nearly half of them between the ages of 5 and 11. That report did not directly address the tens of thousands of so-called "stateless" boys and girls living in the country with parents who came from bordering countries.
Dan Strechay, the RSPO's global outreach and engagement director, said the association has started working with UNICEF and others to educate members about what constitutes child labour.
This applies to Europe too. Multinationals export worldwide. 😔
Thus allowing families to survive as they earn money to purchase food. We in Canada may not like it, but its a fact of life in many countries.
Child labour occurs everywhere. In Alberta children help their parents out in the farms. What we should insist on that the farmers are paid a fair price and that children get access to safe/good working conditions, education and healthcare.
I used to live in Mumbai, reading A Fine Balance by Canadian author Rohinton Mistry, provided the clarity that was necessary in understanding this phenomenon. Not accepting it but understanding was critical for the duration of my 2 year stay.
How about hijabs produced for Nike by Muslim slave labour in China?