ORDU / SAKARYA (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) organized a series of trainings for capacity building on combating child labour for the field staff employed in the context of FERRERO Farming Values, to enhance their knowledge and experience in combating child labour in the hazelnut supply chain.

The first courses of the training programme were delivered in Ordu on 23-24 February 2023, and the second in Sakarya on 2-3 March 2023.

The training courses were attended by area managers, field experts, technical experts and social experts employed under the FERRERO Farming Values programme.

The training courses were delivered by independent consultant Ceren Ababay Tosyalı, independent researcher Dr. Engin Fırat, and Dr. Abdulkadir Yüksel, a faculty member of Cumhuriyet University.

The first session covered the conceptual and legal framework of child labour, then the second session addressed child labour in seasonal agricultural work.

The first session involved interactive training on children’s rights and child labour, explaining the current state of child labour, causes and effects, and policy priorities, and providing information on the national and international legislation on child labour.

The second session dealt with child labour, working, and living conditions in seasonal agricultural work. It also explained the institutional roles and responsibilities under the national legislation and emphasized the importance of inter-institutional cooperation and coordination.

The third session covered rights and responsibilities in seasonal agricultural work, and communications with children under risk and families.

Providing information on the capacity-building training, Senior Project Coordinator Koray Abacı said: “We are here today to extend the training modules which we, as the ILO Türkiye Office, developed under the “Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour” to Ferrero field staff members in Sakarya. We delivered the first course in Ordu to the private sector representatives assigned in the context of FERRERO Farming Values programme. Today we are delivering the second course in Sakarya. Through training activities, we aim to impart related information on the existing national and international legislation to the private sector representatives, promote and expand activities to prevent child labour in seasonal agricultural work, and provide information on the matter.”

About the Project

The project Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting is implemented in cooperation with ILO’s tripartite constituents (government, workers’ and employers’ organizations) in the framework of public-private partnership to share experience in combating child labour including particularly in the hazelnut supply chain. The project is funded by FERRERO Farming Values and implemented under the co-lead of the General Directorate of Labour (GDL) of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS) in the provinces of Trabzon, Samsun, Zonguldak and Şanlıurfa.