Tropentag 2020, September 9 - 11, virtual conference, Germany "Food and nutrition security and its resilience to global crises"

Comparison between Socio-Economic Conditions of the Employees of two Cocoa Plantations in Colombia

ISTOM; Ecole supérieur d’agro développement international, ADI-SUD Innovation and Agro/Food-développement international, France

Abstract

The objective of this study is to carry out a diagnosis of the living and working conditions of the employees on two cocoa plantations of one company. The aim is to identify different factors that are inducing the exodus of employees from the cocoa production areas by understanding the underlying social mechanisms present at the two locations studied: Necocli and Casanare.
The study was conducted in order to secure the presence of well-trained employees and hence allow for the production of high-quality fine aroma cocoa (Theobroma cacao). For the study both qualitative and quantitative data was collected. This data was collected during 3 weeks of fieldwork with 10 interviewers. Data were pocessed using a quantitative approach in order to be able to interpret the results regarding different themes ranging from the study of work contexts, new mechanisms; understand and document the mechanisms in the two sites; explanation of the parameters that make up these mechanisms; proposing and exploring the links between the different results obtained during interviews. This work leads to the understanding of the basic mechanisms, the factors that induce the exodus of young people from the fields.
One of the key outcomes of the study is that it can be seen that the creation of a climate of trust by taking an interest in the life of the employee outside of work and participating in agricultural work is of high importance for the satisfaction of workers with their living conditions outside their working sites and thus their willingness to stay in job and in the region. An important recommendation is to promote a communication and awareness campaign about the profession of cocoa field employees, but especially among young people.

Keywords: Cacao, fieldwork, living conditions, working conditions

Contact Address: Daniel J.E. Kalnin, ISTOM; Ecole supérieur d’agro développement international, ADI-SUD, Innovation and Agro/Food-développement international, 4 rue Joseph Lakanal, 49100 Angers, France, e-mail: d.kalninistom.fr