Türkiye’s Hazelnut Sector Builds a Lasting Shield Against Child Labour

The ILO Office for Türkiye and CAOBISCO have worked together since 2013 to help eliminate the worst forms of child labour in seasonal hazelnut harvesting.

Türkiye's seasonal hazelnut harvest supports thousands of families and supplies a major global food industry, yet it can also expose children to dangerous work, interrupted schooling and unstable living conditions. Public authorities, trade unions, employers, hazelnut companies and community representatives met in Ordu and Giresun on 19–20 August 2026 to decide how 13 years of work led by the International Labour Organization and the Association of Chocolate, Biscuits and Confectionery Industries of Europe can continue after the current project phase closes in December.

The 2026 Multi-Stakeholder Field Visit combined an Exit Strategy Consultation Workshop, a visit to services supporting seasonal agricultural families and an industry roundtable hosted by the Black Sea Exporters' Associations. Each event addressed a different part of the same challenge: protecting children requires clear national policies, dependable local services and companies willing to examine labour risks throughout their supply chains.

Turning Project Experience Into Lasting Public Action

The ILO Office for Türkiye and CAOBISCO have worked together since 2013 to help eliminate the worst forms of child labour in seasonal hazelnut harvesting. The partnership is implemented with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security as the principal government counterpart, supported by education and family services authorities, workers' and employers' organizations, businesses and local institutions.

Representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Family and Social Services, TİSK, TÜRK-İŞ, HAK-İŞ and child labour units in hazelnut-producing provinces attended the consultation workshop in Ordu. Participants reviewed the systems created through the project and considered which activities should become part of national structures, continue on a larger scale, be adjusted using field experience or close because their functions have already been absorbed by existing institutions.

Discussions centred on policy coordination, the identification and referral of vulnerable children, monitoring procedures, public awareness and community participation. These mechanisms have helped institutions share responsibilities and respond more consistently when children are found working or facing a high risk of entering agricultural labour.

Yasser Hassan, Director of the ILO Office for Türkiye, explained that the end of direct project support does not mean the end of the ILO's engagement. He said the knowledge, coordination systems and public awareness built over 13 years provide a strong foundation for nationally owned action, with the organization continuing to offer technical support for policy development, implementation and monitoring.

Suat Dede, Deputy Director-General of Labour at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, described cooperation between central institutions, provincial authorities and local stakeholders as one of the project's strongest achievements. Protecting that network will be vital because child labour cannot be prevented through isolated action or short-term programmes.

Safe Learning Spaces Protect Children During Harvest Season

Participants visited the Saraycık Temporary Settlement Area for Seasonal Agricultural Workers in Ordu to see how policies are translated into practical protection during the hazelnut harvest. Children identified as workers or considered vulnerable to labour are referred to a safe space where they receive educational and social support instead of joining adults in the orchards.

The services include preschool education and activities covering Turkish, mathematics, science, hygiene, art, music and physical education. Children also participate in sessions based on the ILO's SCREAM methodology, which uses art, theatre and creative expression to build awareness of child labour, rights and personal experiences.

Such spaces give children stability during a period when seasonal migration can disrupt their education and daily routines. They also give local teams opportunities to work with parents, identify wider family needs and connect households with available public services, making child protection part of a broader response rather than a single classroom intervention.

Hazelnut Companies Face a Shared Supply-Chain Responsibility

The programme continued in Giresun with the ILO–CAOBISCO Hazelnut Suppliers Roundtable, where producers and exporters joined government and industry representatives to examine child labour and other decent-work risks. Conversations explored how company human rights checks can connect with public referral systems, collective industry programmes and services operating in farming communities.

Marco Baldoli, Secretary General of CAOBISCO, said the partnership had grown from a pilot initiative into a wider effort that reached thousands of children and strengthened protection systems at national and local levels. He identified continued human rights due diligence, private-sector engagement and close cooperation with public authorities as essential parts of the next stage.

The meetings delivered a clear message for the years ahead: no business, ministry or temporary project can eliminate child labour alone. Lasting protection will depend on public institutions maintaining effective systems, companies tracing and addressing risks, workers' and employers' organizations staying involved, and local communities receiving enough support to keep children safe, learning and away from hazardous agricultural work.