When the Monsanto India Seed Manufacturing team realized that child labor was a concern in their local hybrid cotton seed-production fields, it implemented a program to address the issue.

The team formed partnerships with multiple stakeholders, including the Child Care Programme. The team members incorporated child labor clauses into agreements with farmers and coordinators, and they created labor attendance forms to track the age of workers. An incentive program was developed to reward hybrid cottonseed farmers who complied with child labor laws and regulations. In 2006, these awareness programs and campaigns reached more than 1,700 farmers, numerous government officials, and other stakeholders.

Results from the program indicate that the percentage of children in the work force went down from 20 percent in 2004 to less than 5 percent in 2006. “Farmers have learned that children’s rights to education and childhood must be protected,” said Jolanta Paull, regional Environmental, Safety, and Health lead. “They are proud that this initiative allows them to be part of the solution.”