Why is the use of child labour seen as a problem?
Child labour is seen as a problem as there are hazards of using a
machete, they children are exposed to agricultural chemicals on the West
African cocoa farms. Tropical regions such as the Ivory Coast consistently have
to deal with prolific insect populations and choose to spray the pods with
large amounts of industrial agricultural chemicals. Without protective
equipment, children as young as 12 spray the pods with hazardous chemicals. Most
of the children are unable to attend school while they are working, which is a
violation of the International Labor Organization (ILO) child labor standards. Depriving
these children of an education has many short-term and long-term effects on
their lives. The children of the cocoa farms have little hope of ever breaking
the cycle of poverty. The working conditions are horrific, image having no running
water, no electricity and no sanitation. The children are forced to spend long
days in the heat with flies biting their bodies and keeping an eye out for
snakes. They had little to eat and if they slowed down they would be beaten.
The final reason to why child labour is seen as a problem is that the farmers don’t
provide the children with a normal amount of food, as they are trying to keep
it less expensive.