Rapid assessment on child labour in the sugarcane sector in selected areas in Cambodia: A comparative analysis

This study was undertaken in 2014 by the Cambodia Institute of Development Study (CIDS) in order to fill an apparent existing knowledge gap on the nature of child labour in the sugarcane sector in Cambodia.

Worldwide, agriculture is the sector where by far the largest share of working children is found — nearly 60 percent. Over 98 million girls and boys aged 5 to 17 years old work in crop and livestock production, helping supply some of the food and drink we consume and the fibres and raw materials we use to make other products. In Cambodia, 90 per cent of all child labourers live in rural areas and the agricultural sector accounts for just over 50 per cent of all economically active children. Over 80 per cent of all child labourers are 12–17 years of age.

This study was undertaken in 2014 by the Cambodia Institute of Development Study (CIDS) in order to fill an apparent existing knowledge gap on the nature of child labour in the sugarcane sector in Cambodia. The research covers selected sugarcane growing areas within two Provinces of Kampong Chhnang and Pursat. The research offers a close look at a number of household level factors that push and pull children into child labour, the hazardous conditions they endure in the work they perform, and the distinctions in the nature of child labour between small holder farms and plantations. It also seeks to clarify what can be defined as child labour given that the concept of child labour can often be misunderstood.