Harvesting the Future - Jasmine in Egypt
The Fair Labor Association, the International Labour Organization (ILO) office in Egypt, and more than 15 national and international producers and purchasers of jasmine and jasmine derivatives and products are working together to promote child protection and decent working conditions in the jasmine sector in Egypt. The Government of Egypt and several local civil society organizations also are active partners in the project.
Joint efforts to improve labor rights and working conditions in the jasmine supply chain include strategies to promote fair compensation and build the economic resilience of families; strengthen child protection measures and improve children’s access to education and childcare; improve human rights due diligence systems at the processor level; and generate support for legal and policy initiatives, including social protection measures.
The ILO will lead the collaboration with the Egyptian Government, including coordination with the ministries of agriculture and land reclamation, labor, social solidarity, and education and technical education, as well as the national councils for childhood and motherhood, and for women.
FLA and the ILO will conduct intensive field-level activities in seven jasmine producing villages in the Garbia region in Egypt, in collaboration with several local civil society organizations and jasmine suppliers including A. Fakhry & Co., Hashem Brothers, Machalico, and Herbal Family Group.
International companies including Coty, dsm-firmenich, Givaudan, International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF), L’Oréal, MANE, Robertet, Symrise AG, The Estée Lauder Companies, and Yves Rocher are participating in, and have strongly committed to, the objectives of the project.
Harvest 2024
Since the launch of Harvesting the Future – Jasmine in Egypt in mid-2024, FLA, in partnership with the ILO, has hosted four national multi-stakeholder meetings among governmental agencies, brands, jasmine suppliers, and civil society organizations to review intervention plans and assess progress.
A draft of the Labor Code aimed at enhancing child protection in the workplace, developed through tripartite social dialogue among the Egyptian government, employer organizations, and workers’ organizations, is already under discussion in the Egyptian legislature. FLA and the ILO, in collaboration with Egypt’s National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, have developed a manual outlining standard operating procedures for identifying, referring, and managing cases of child labor. A partnership with a local financial institution has also been established to aid jasmine pickers’ access to essential financial services.
Field-level activities
Field-level activities to address the root causes of child labor in seven key villages—covering four jasmine producers and targeting 18,500 workers and their families—included an analysis to gain insights into gender dynamics within the jasmine supply chain, ensuring that activities are responsive to gender-specific needs; awareness-raising sessions on child rights and accessing public services to support families with better social resources; financial support, including pre-paid cards to facilitate access to government services; and financial literacy training.
In cooperation with local partners, FLA has distributed personal protective equipment, including headlamps, waterproof boots, and aprons, to over 7,500 jasmine pickers. The project also has launched medical support initiatives, with 23 medical convoys and mobile clinics, to provide essential medical examinations, surgeries, and health awareness sessions. More than 1,000 exams already have been administered, primarily to women and children, and the clinic are expected to reach over 5,000 individuals by end of January 2025.
To ensure safe working conditions during the jasmine harvest, the project hired 16 monitors embedded within local jasmine suppliers’ teams. The monitors, who cover 21 villages and more than 150 hectares, visit farms at night, when jasmine is picked, and case-manage any children working in the fields. The team also facilitates community-awareness sessions and works closely with national child protection committees to secure remediation and rehabilitation support for affected children. Financial education, and economic empowerment programs for jasmine pickers and workers have also been launched.
Moving forward, Harvesting the Future will expand efforts to develop summer activities for children; facilitate access to childcare services and education; continue to provide economic empowerment and financial inclusion opportunities; and continue awareness-raising activities throughout the community.
Fair compensation
After calculating what constitutes fair compensation for workers, based on current practices, previous studies, and international standards, FLA introduced a fair compensation methodology and is working with the project partners to implement it.
Learn more about FLA’s flagship project, Harvesting the Future.