During the event held in San José, Costa Rica, authorities from the Costa Rican Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the International Labor Organization, the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as representatives of the different sugar associations of the isthmus participated, who renewed their commitment to promoting this initiative in favor of minors.

As of 2022, the sugar agribusiness in El Salvador was declared "free of child labor in the cultivation and harvesting of sugar cane" by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare. This achievement was possible thanks to the constant and permanent work for more than 20 years of the sector, executed through FUNDAZUCAR with the implementation of the Zero Tolerance to Child Labor Policy, being a fundamental part, the commitment assumed by the 7,000 sugar cane producers and the 6 sugar mills of the country, in addition to the alliances with the governmental sector and the technical-financial support of IPEC/ILO.

The "Yo te cuido" campaign is implemented in the sugar agroindustry of El Salvador, under a continuous prevention approach, which guarantees the sustainability of the efforts and a sector free of child labor.

Through the "Yo te cuido" campaign, awareness-raising spaces are generated in the main sugarcane producing areas, through workshops, talks, contests and the dissemination of informative material, with the aim of impacting workers in the sector, as well as producers and communities.

In the first two years of implementation, the campaign included more than 500 activities throughout the Central American region. The impact it has achieved allowed it to win the "Leader of Change" recognition from the ILO's International Organization of Employers - IEO.

"To be able to consolidate this campaign under a regional scope, is of great significance for our sugar agribusiness, since for many years we have made great efforts in the fight against child labor. Now, by joining forces as Central American sugar growers, we have expanded the scope and impact of our actions, strengthening our commitment to sustainability and our societies", said Juan Carlos Fernandez, executive director of AICA.

At the national level and throughout Central America, the sugar sector will continue to actively promote these initiatives with the aim of fostering development and creating safer communities for the children of the isthmus.

Translated by: A.M