Cooperatives promote decent work in Uganda's coffee supply chain

© ILO

© ILO

Uganda is one of Africa's major coffee-producing countries. Despite the sector’s importance to Uganda’s economy, it faces challenges such as fluctuating global prices, climate change, and decent work deficits, including child labour, unsafe working conditions, and gender inequality.

To support the country´s efforts in boosting the development of the sector, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is implementing several projects focused on promoting fundamental principles and rights at work, with a focus on eliminating child labour and improving occupational safety and health. These projects include notably ‘Accelerating action for the elimination of child labour in supply chains in Africa’ (ACCEL II), funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; ’Ending Child Labour in Supply Chains’, funded by the European Union and implemented jointly with UNICEF, FAO and the International Trade Centre; and the ILO Vision Zero Fund, funded by the European Union.

As many smallholders organize themselves into cooperatives to be more competitive in the national and global market, the ILO decided to commission a study to assess the role of cooperatives in the elimination of child labour and improving occupational safety and health in the coffee supply chains in Uganda. As values-based organizations, cooperatives are expected to play a key role in ensuring compliance with the provisions of the legislation especially considering their direct access to the farmer and the community at large.

The workshop brought together, among others, cooperative organizations, social partners, and policymakers to reflect on the presentation made by the two ILO consultants namely Ms Rose Angeyango and Ms Rufina Barigo Oloa who shared main findings and recommendations of the assessment report. It highlighted strengths of cooperatives and farmer organizations (e.g. bulk purchasing power, quality control, member engagement), their weaknesses (e.g. weak governance, limited market access, lack of access to modern technology for processing) In addition, the consultants presented challenges faced by cooperatives in fighting child labour, improving

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and empowering women in the coffee supply chain while showcasing good practices by cooperatives.

Further to the presentation, participants had the opportunity to share their experiences and analysis before engaging in group discussions on selected aspects of the topics including institutional development of cooperatives and partnerships with public and private stakeholders.

Findings and recommendations will inform the finalization of the assessment and will guide ILO’s interventions to ensure the cooperative advantage is fully utilized to contribute to the fight against child labour and advance OSH in the coffee supply chains in Uganda.

The coffee value chain is an important asset for the Ugandan economy. Ensuring sustainability of this business requires not only to improve the production but to protect the people that makes it a reality: farmers and workers. That is the secret of a good coffee.

Ana Catalina, specialist on occupational safety and health, International Labour Organization

Participation of farmers and worker in cooperatives can help to reduce reliance on child labour in agriculture activities by mitigating income shocks, improving farm livelihoods and advancing the prevention and elimination of child labour by supporting children’s education and the transition from school to work and participation in child labour monitoring committees.

Wouter Cools, project manager, International Labour Organization