VISIT TO COFFEE FARM REVEALS CHILD LABOR

UNCLAS SAN SALVADOR 000253 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ES PGOV ELAB SUBJECT: VISIT TO COFFEE FARM REVEALS CHILD LABOR ¶1. (U) Summary: On January 11, LabOff and three USAID Officers visited Los Cedros, a Salvadoran coffee plantation located 20 minutes outside San Salvador. The plantation has been certified for compliance with Rainforest Alliance's labor and environmental standards. While working conditions for adults appeared to meet the basic standards, the plantation, though it is considered one of the most progressive in the area, continues to employ young children in unsafe working conditions. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Los Cedros is a Salvadoran-owned coffee plantation located about 20 minutes from San Salvador. During the year, the plantation employs 60-80 workers, approximately 30 percent of whom are women. From November to January, the harvest season, the farm employs about 350 additional seasonal workers. During the harvest, each worker collects between seven and eight 25 pound bags of coffee per day. The plantation owner provides workers with shelter, two meals per day, and facilities for bathing and washing clothes. According to the owner, many of the same workers return to Los Cedros each year. ¶3. (U) During a visit in December 2006, USAID Officers noted that child labor appeared common at the plantation, and, through the Rainforest Alliance, corrective measures were initiated. The January 11 visit was intended to evaluate the progress of those efforts. However, child labor continues to be a problem at Los Cedros. ¶4. (U) During the visit we observed numerous children, some who appeared to be as young as four, working alongside adults in the fields. The owner explained that children were required to remain with their parents when working in the field, but that children over the age of 15 may work independently with the written permission of a parent. There appeared to be no minimum age for children working in the fields. (Note: Children under 15 are employed on an informal basis. According to the owner, the beans harvested by children are counted as the parent,s harvest, and the parent receives the payment. End Note.) ¶5. (U) The youngest children were seen collecting beans from coffee plants and sorting the beans for processing. Older children were seen harvesting beans and carrying large, heavy bags from the field to be processed. The owner said that children were prohibited from carrying bags weighing more than 20 percent of their body weight; however, children were seen carrying bags that obviously exceeded this amount. ¶6. (U) As with many coffee plantations in El Salvador, Los Cedros is located on the side of a mountain; as a result, much of the harvesting takes place on steep, dangerous terrain. The owner displayed a map which indicated which areas were off limits to all children due to the dangerous conditions. These areas were also marked by signs (attached to trees about 12 feet from the ground) informing workers which areas are off limits to children. However, we observed many children, some as young as five and six years old, working in these areas. ¶7. (U) Comment: The owner of Los Cedros is considered to be one of the most progressive employers in the coffee sector located around San Salvador. He participates in the Rainforest Alliance, and his interest in the well-being of his employees seems genuine. According to reports from workers at other local plantations, Los Cedros provides far better facilities and support to workers than other nearby plantations. However, Los Cedros clearly employs young children in dangerous working conditions and does little to enforce its own regulations, much less laws regulating child labor. The GOES seems to have no presence at all. ¶8. (U) Comment continued: The problem of child labor in El Salvador has a significant cultural component. Adults, particularly in the rural areas, often believe that all family members should work regardless of age. Child labor in El Salvador is also incredibly dangerous, and there seems to be little concern for children in these dangerous situations. Young children can often be seen harvesting coffee on a steep hillsides or standing in busy, chaotic intersections selling trinkets. End Comment. GLAZER