This report presents the results of a pilot project, in which targeted cocoa-producing households received a one-off, unconditional cash transfer, combined with a subsidy for hiring adult labour. By encouraging households to use Community Service Groups – teams of trained and equipped adults who offer affordable agricultural services to local farmers – the project aimed to provide households with an alternative means of doing agricultural work that might otherwise fall on children.
In this report, we provide insights into how recipients spent the cash and how the cash transfer affected the demand and supply of adult labour in the community. We also explore the benefits the cash transfer brought to children, families, and the community.
The results show that this innovative approach strengthened farmer livelihoods, increased the supply of affordable adult labour and reduced child labour rates within the communities, suggesting it could be an effective part of efforts to prevent and address child labour.
