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According to estimates by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and Unicef, 160 million girls and boys worldwide are affected by child labor. As unskilled workers in the service sector, industry, but mostly agriculture.
The situation is the same in the fields in Turkey as well as in Bulgaria, which is the main supplier of rose extract used by the fragrance industry. The precious oil of the damask rose is found in numerous perfumes that are classic gifts at Christmas. “Small, agile hands are best at picking flowers,” a foreman in Turkey’s Isparta province tells “NZZ am Sonntag”.
Harvest takes several weeks. As the newspaper observed, migrant workers live in precarious conditions during this period. Until last year, children aged six and over helped with the harvest, sometimes in fields far from the control of Turkish police and cosmetics company inspectors. This has been prohibited by law since this year. Child labor has been illegal in Turkey for 50 years.
L’Oréal and Chanel are major buyers of Turkish rose oil; In Switzerland it is Givaudan.
Givaudan cannot exclude child labor
Spicy: According to the report, the Swiss company Givaudan, the world’s largest producer of flavors and fragrances, does not ignore child labor in its products. “There is no 100% guarantee,” says a spokesperson. According to the Geneva-based company’s human rights policy, Givaudan employs children only after they have completed their compulsory education and never before they turn 15.
What needs to change so that Turkish migrant workers’ families no longer employ their own children? Famous civil rights activist Ertan Karabiyik says adult harvest workers should earn enough to “NZZ am Sonntag”. Karabıyık has long insisted on improving working conditions and ending child labor in Turkey.
Seasonal workers in Isparta receive a daily wage of around 6 francs. Buyers pay approximately 30 cents for a kilo of rose petals. Daily income in Turkey is only enough for four liters of milk or a kilo of cheap cheese. The perfume industry, on the other hand, earns billions of dollars in profit from its luxury products, including creams and shampoos containing rose oil “Made in Turkey”. Business is especially booming around Christmas time. (euro)
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
