Building capacity to address child labour and occupational safety and health (OSH) in Uganda’s coffee value chain

KAMPALA (ILO News) - As you savour your morning cup of coffee, have you ever wondered about the hands that picked the beans? In Uganda, coffee is more than a national treasure—it is a lifeline for millions. Yet, behind the rich aroma and smooth flavour, there is a bitter reality: many of Uganda’s coffee beans are harvested by children who work in a situation of child labour. Uganda is Africa’s largest exporter of Robusta coffee, and the crop supports the livelihoods of countless families. However, recent data show a troubling rise in child labour. According to Uganda’s Labour Force Survey (2021), the number of children aged 5 to 17 in child labour increased from 2.4 million in 2016/2017 to 6.2 million in 2021 (excluding household chores). Most of these children work in agriculture, including in the coffee supply chain. In some regions, child labour prevalence[1] in the coffee value chain ranges from 20 to 75 per cent, and many children perform hazardous tasks that threaten their health and future.

In response to the pressing need to tackle child labour, the International Labour Organization (ILO), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and UNICEF, launched the CLEAR Supply Chains project, with co-financing from the European Union. The project is designed to address the root causes of child labour in supply chains by enhancing the capacity of communities, government, social partners and private sector to prevent, identify, monitor, and respond to instances of child labour, while also promoting safer working conditions for smallholder farmers. As part of this initiative, one key activity undertaken in partnership with FAO focused specifically on strengthening the ability of district officials to address child labour within the coffee value chain and to support improved working conditions for smallholder coffee farmers.

By focusing on the coffee value chain in districts such as Masaka and Kalungu, the project seeks to involve agricultural officers more directly in the fight against child labour, supporting the work of Child Wellbeing Committees at both district and sub-county levels.

Building skills to tackle child labour

In May 2025, the ILO and FAO organized a three-day training on child labour and occupational safety and health (OSH) for labour, agricultural and community development officers from Masaka and Kalungu districts. The training brought together 28 district officials (18 men and 10 women), representatives from the Kalungu District Farmers Association (KADFA), SOLIDARIDAD, the International Women Coffee Alliance, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD). Engaging district agricultural officers aims to enhance their involvement in identifying, preventing, and addressing child labour, as well as integrating them into Child Wellbeing Committee structures at both district and sub-county levels.

We now better understand how to spot child labour in the coffee value chain and what practical steps to take. Although our current tools don’t yet include specific child labour indicators, this training has boosted our confidence. 

one district agronomist

The action plans developed during the training are designed to guide district efforts by assisting agricultural officers in strengthening their capacity for the identification, monitoring, and remediation of child labour. Additionally, the training highlighted the critical need to review the national hazardous work list to include coffee as a priority commodity. Further capacity-building sessions for public and private sector agricultural officers are planned later this year, focusing on training a core group of trainers to improve working conditions at the farm level.

This training is timely and crucial as we work to improve social and environmental safeguards in Uganda’s coffee sector, in line with new European Union regulations,” said Rauben Keimusya, Assistant Commissioner at MAAIF. “We are committed to integrating child labour prevention into new coffee regulations and standard operating procedures.”

This training is timely and crucial as we work to improve social and environmental safeguards in Uganda’s coffee sector, in line with new European Union regulations. 

Rauben Keimusya, Assistant Commissioner at MAAIF

As Uganda continues its journey to sustainable coffee production, the ILO and its partners remain committed to ensuring that every cup of coffee is free from child labour—so that the taste of your morning brew is one of hope, not hardship.

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[1] ILO: Identifying productive strategies for inclusion and economic empowerment in the eradication and prevention of child labour in Uganda: Mapping and analysis of the coffee and tea supply chains, 2023.