Child Labour Free Seed Project, India

Funded by TRAID

There are 400,000 children working in bonded conditions in cotton seed production in India.  These children, predominantly girls are being denied their right to education and are exposed to dangerous pesticides.

Pi Foundation is managing a project in India that is developing a new seed production model.  This model will eradicate child labour in the industry and rehabilitate children into formal education and produce GM free seed.

Cotton seed production is currently controlled by large corporations including Monsanto.   Children are used because their wages are up to 55% less than average and their little fingers are favoured for intricate cross pollination needed to produce hybrid cotton seed.

This issue has not been addressed before because the supply chain is convoluted with middle men called ‘seed organisers’, allowing all those involved to deny accountability. Seed organisers often act as informal bankers demanding bonded labour of children as repayment and interest.  The interest is often exorbitant with girls working season after season to repay the original loan.  Children are not only expected to work up to 13 hours a day but are exposed to pesticides used on the seed production plants.

To put an end to this unacceptable and currently unaddressed violation of human rights, we want to make all cotton seed 100% child labour free.

Contact emily@pifoundation.org for more details.

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