Health and Child Labor in Agriculture

BackgroundSeventy percent of child laborers—more than 150 million girls and boys under 18—are agricultural workers. They are harshly exploited, toiling in poor to appalling conditions, performing dangerous jobs with little or no pay, and are deprived of an education. Because children's bodies and minds are still growing and developing, exposure to workplace hazards and risks can be more devastating and long-lasting for them. The line between what is acceptable work and what is not is easily crossed. However, not all work that children undertake in agriculture is bad for them. Age-appropriate, lower-risk tasks that do not interfere with schooling and leisure time are not at issue here.ObjectivesThe goal of this paper is to examine the links between health and child labor in agriculture. It aims to explain why the International Labour Organization's goal of eliminating all of the worst forms of child labor by 2016 will only be possible if more work is done in agriculture.MethodsReview of the relevant litera...