Land Tenure, Parental Marital Status and Child Labor in Cocoa Farming in Diégonéfla-Lahouda (Côte d'Ivoire)

The aim of the present study was to assess the variability in the degree of child labor constraint in cocoa farming at Lahouda in the sub-prefecture of Diégonéfla in Côte d'Ivoire, according to the land tenure status and marital type of their parents. 50 children, 20 girls and 30 boys, all attending school and aged between 10 and 16, were interviewed using a questionnaire and a semi-directive interview. The results show that the children of farmers who do not own cocoa plots are subject to heavy labor, while those of farmers who do own plots are not. The results also show that the children of polygamous cocoa farmers are in binding labor, while those of monogamous farmers are in non-binding labor. To achieve this, Côte d'Ivoire needs to include farmers in social security policies and regulate work and sharecropping contracts in cocoa farming. In addition, it needs to raise awareness among polygamous cocoa families about household financial management.