Grand-Zattry, Cote d'Ivoire, 29-30 January, 2024 -As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainable development and social responsibility in the agricultural sector, the ACCEL Africa project recently concluded a monitoring mission to assess the progress made and the challenges ahead in various areas, including health and occupational safety (OSH), social inclusion, and financial education among cocoa farmers.
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)
The mission revealed a notable improvement in the implementation of concrete OSH interventions thanks to the effective involvement of implementation partners (Ministry of Employment and Social Protection - MEPS, National Support Agency for rural development-ANADER, agricultural cooperatives, etc.). The actions carried out have thus contributed to reducing the arduousness of work for adults within the communities, which has led to a reduction in the use of children to carry out dangerous work. . However, challenges remain to sustainably improve OSH management at all levels of the targeted value chains. At the community level, controlling the risks linked to the use of dangerous chemical/phytosanitary work tools remains a significant challenge. The need to extend these interventions to more communities and workers was also highlighted to ensure broader and more effective OSH coverage.
Economic, financial and social inclusion
Rapid interviews carried out with savings and credit groups (AVEC) show progress in the development of income-generating activities and financial and social inclusion. Specifically, support for the diversification of agro-pastoral production is still in the testing phase, and the motivation of the beneficiaries is encouraging. Supporting savings and credit groups demonstrates social benefits through the strengthening of social ties and solidarity within communities and economic benefits through the development of informal savings habits and credit and on the other hand by access to an adapted, complete financial education program at a distance. Although the activities are still at a primary stage, significant challenges remain for the activities to achieve a sustainable and viable impact: long-term continuity for professional capacity building, infrastructural, economic and social barriers limiting the access and use of formal financial services.
Youth Employment
Youth employment in the agricultural sector has been identified as a major area of interest, particularly for those no longer of school age and accustomed to manual labor. The mission revealed the need to diversify employment opportunities for young people, outside of traditional work on cocoa plantations. Therefore, the project will prioritize professional training and entrepreneurship in key sectors for community development. This requires close collaboration with vocational training institutions and local chambers of commerce. There is also a need to intensify collaboration with the private sector, including small and medium-sized enterprises, to ensure that young people benefit from employment opportunities.
Next steps :
Strengthen engagement with the private sector through partnerships
Development of technical and financial support for SMEs in certain supply chains
Select professions in demand and strengthen the capacities of training establishments to serve young people aged 15 and over
Develop awareness training on “rights at work” for young people and communities
The CDI remains committed to working together with its partners and local communities to overcome these challenges. The objective is to promote sustainable agricultural practices, better health and safety at work, social inclusion and a better quality of life for cocoa farmers and their families with the aim of accelerating action against child labor In the region.
