Tanzania, Brazil and International Labour Organization collaborate to tackle child labour and promote social justice and decent work in Tanzania’s cotton value chain

ILO NEWS (Dar es Salaam and Brasília) - In a ground-breaking collaboration, the governments of Brazil and of Tanzania, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have launched the "Promotion of Decent Work in the Cotton Value Chain in Tanzania" Project. The project aims at breaking the cycle of child labour, poverty, and inequality, by strengthening the country´s labour inspection system, promoting better occupational safety and health, and expanding social security coverage in cotton-producing areas.

Brazil and Tanzania, in partnership with the ILO, approved the project during the 2023 Annual Labour Conference, held in Dar es Salaam, in October 2023. The project is part of the ILO-Brazil South-South Cooperation Programme 2023-2027 “Social Justice for the Global South”, specifically nested within the Cotton with Decent Work Project launched in 2016 to promote cooperation among cotton-producing developing countries by accentuating the ILO´s Decent Work Agenda strategic axes.

Under the project, the government of Tanzania represented by Prime Minister's Office – Labour, Youth, Employment and Persons with Disabilities (PMO-LYED) and the Government of Brazil, represented by the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment of Brazil (MTE), will promote the sharing of best practice and technical expertise, and foster peer-to-peer learning in the cotton sector.

Despite Tanzania's economic growth, rural areas continue to grapple with high poverty rates. The agricultural sector, a cornerstone of the country's economy, presents opportunities for growth, contributing to 70% of household income and employing 80% of the workforce. However, it also presents challenges related to decent work, notably child labour. Cotton ranks as Tanzania's second-largest foreign currency generator and has a pivotal role in the nation's economic fabric.

The "Promotion of Decent Work in the Cotton Value Chain in Tanzania" project represents a collaborative effort to create positive social transformations, by addressing the following key areas within the country’s cotton sector:

• Enhancing the institutional capacity of PMO-LYED to combat child labour and improve child protection at the national and district levels.
• Promoting cotton producers’ compliance with Tanzanian legislation on international standards and awareness of child labour in the cotton value chain through labour inspection.
• Promoting occupational safety and health (OSH) at work in the cotton value chain.
• Increasing social protection coverage in cotton-growing areas.

It comprises a national coverage and is focused on the Simiyu region, particularly in the strategic Meatu district. As a leading cotton producer, Meatu accounts for a substantial portion of the national cotton production, and significant challenges related to decent work deficits such as child labour, making it a priority area for the project.

This initiative not only holds promise for Tanzanian cotton workers but also sets an example for sustainable and equitable practices in the global cotton industry. The project contributes to the achievement the following Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda in Tanzania: related to Poverty Eradication (Goal 1), Quality Education (Goal 4), Decent Work and Economic Growth (Goal 8) and Partnerships (Goal 17).