Local public stakeholders increase knowledge and awareness on responsible business conduct in Türkiye’s hazelnut sector
The ILO Office for Türkiye organized a series of provincial seminars to strengthen local public stakeholders’ awareness of how responsible business conduct can contribute to preventing child labour and addressing its root causes in seasonal hazelnut harvesting.
12 June 2026
ORDU, GİRESUN, SAKARYA (ILO News)– Three seminars were held in Ordu, Giresun and Sakarya between 11 and 13 May 2026, bringing together representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of Türkiye, the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR), Provincial Directorates of Agriculture and Forestry, Health, and Family and Social Services, as well as governorships, local administrations, agricultural and trade chambers, workers’ and employers’ organizations, universities and civil society organizations to strengthen understanding of responsible business conduct (RBC) and its role in preventing and addressing child labour in seasonal hazelnut harvesting.
Sessions focused on strengthening the local public stakeholders’ understanding of child labour, the role of international labour standards in protecting the rights of children and promoting decent work in communities, and the guidance provided by the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration). Discussions highlighted how the MNE Declaration can be used by the government, employers’ and worker’ organizations to support a holistic approach to the elimination of child labour in seasonal agriculture by addressing its root causes, including informality, job insecurity and lack of social protection, promotion of decent employment opportunities, adequate wages, benefits and working conditions, non-discrimination, and related structural factors.
The seminars also promoted dialogue among local actors on operational challenges and opportunities, prevention approaches, and coordinated responses to child labour risks. Discussions underscored the distinct roles and shared responsibility of public institutions, employers, workers’ organizations, local actors, and supply chain actors in preventing child labour and promoting decent work and responsible business practices in agricultural supply chains, in line with the principles of the ILO MNE Declaration.
Through these seminars, the ILO Office for Türkiye aims to strengthen local institutional engagement, promote RBC in agricultural supply chains, and support more coordinated and preventive approaches to eliminating child labour in seasonal hazelnut harvesting. These efforts also contribute to Türkiye’s strong commitment to the elimination of child labour under Alliance 8.7, where Türkiye participates as a Pathfinder Country.
The seminars were organised through the projects “An Integrated Model for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Türkiye” and “Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting” funded by the Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Industries of Europe (CAOBISCO) and FERRERO respectively.