Strengthening Resilience to Climate Change for the Elimination of Child Labour in Cocoa Producing Areas in Ghana

The project supports the Government of Ghana’s efforts to strengthen resilience to climate change and eliminate child labour in cocoa-producing communities by advancing the Child Labour Free Zones (CLFZ). The initiative takes a comprehensive, multi-layered approach, targeting both institutional systems and community-level capacities to identify, prevent, and address child labour effectively. The first output establishes child labour-free zones in the Bibiani Ahwiaso Bekwai District through strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Japanese Action Against Child Exploitation (JPN NGO), Japan International Cooperation Agency, and UNICEF. By bringing together diverse expertise and resources, these collaborations aim to establish comprehensive and robust frameworks to address child labour across multiple sectors. Partnerships with government agencies enhance enforcement of child labour laws, improve policy coordination, and integrate child protection measures into broader socio-economic strategies. The second output introduces biochar technology to cocoa farmers. By adopting biochar, farmers have lower operational costs and thus boost household incomes, providing families with the financial stability to invest in education and healthcare rather than relying on child labour. Training sessions have the objective to equip farmers with the skills to produce and use biochar, while local capacity-building efforts ensure the sustainability of these practices. The third output fosters knowledge exchange and innovation by participating in conferences, research, and practitioner networks. Partnerships with ILO's ongoing initiatives like the Pact for Skills and Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labour in Supply Chain in Africa projects contribute to expanding the reach of knowledge-sharing efforts, while internal learning mechanisms capture and disseminate insights for broader application and promoting scalable solutions and empowering farmers with new agricultural practices, the project improves productivity, enhance resilience, and drive meaningful impact in cocoa-farming communities. Through these interconnected efforts, the project establishes a sustainable model for eradicating child labour while improving livelihoods, fostering community development, and building resilience to climate change and addresses systemic issues, promoting environmental sustainability, and empowering local stakeholders, it creates a foundation for long-term social, economic, and environmental well-being.

Project symbol

GHA/24/02/JPN

Admin unit

CO-Abuja

Start date

17/03/2025

End date

16/03/2026

Total allocation

1485148

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

1379244

Development Partners

Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Country/Countries

Ghana

Outcomes

Outcome 1: Strong, modernized normative action for social justice