Meat Institute guidance fights child labor, identity fraud

The Meat and Poultry Industry’s Efforts to Prevent Child Labor and Identity Fraud

Introduction

The Meat Institute has developed a best practices document to address the issue of child labor and identity fraud in the meat and poultry industry. The document, titled “Meat and Poultry Industry Best Practices: Workforce Age Verification,” can be accessed here.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. Goal 4: Quality Education
2. Goal 5: Gender Equality
3. Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
4. Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Industry’s Stance on Child Labor

Julie Anna Potts, the president and CEO of the Meat Institute, emphasizes that meat and poultry production facilities should not employ children. She states, “The members of the Meat Institute are universally aligned that meat and poultry production facilities are no place for children.” The industry recognizes the need to address child labor, especially in light of the increasing prevalence of identity theft and fraud.

Collaboration with Government Agencies

The Meat Institute has shared these best practices with the Department of Labor and the Department of Agriculture. Recognizing that existing government programs are insufficient to tackle this issue, the industry is willing to collaborate with the federal government to develop effective programs and penalties to ensure that underage workers are not part of the workforce.

Challenges Faced by the Industry

• Hundreds of thousands of migrants enter the country illegally each month.
• An increasing number of unaccompanied minors have been entering the country, with nearly 400,000 since 2021.
• Many industries unknowingly hire minors who have been exploited by human traffickers using identity fraud.

Efforts to Improve Age and Identity Verification

The Meat Institute has undertaken initiatives to educate member companies on improving age and identity verification. These efforts include engaging outside experts and legal counsel to provide guidance on false identification, trafficking, lessons learned from companies charged with violating child labor laws, and new programs and technology to detect identity fraud.

Development of Best Practices

Based on the input and consultation with member companies, the Meat Institute has compiled field-tested best practices. These practices serve as an effective framework for member companies to develop their own programs to address child labor and identity fraud.

Key Components of the Best Practices Document

• Review of legal authorities
• Suggestions for corporate codes of conduct
• Expectations for third-party contractors
• Instructions for immediate on-the-ground responses to suspicions of child labor
• Enhanced training
• Audits
• Technological solutions

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
   • Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group.
   • Indicator 8.7.2: Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population, by sex, age group, and form of exploitation.

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. The article discusses the meat and poultry industry’s efforts to prevent child labor and identity fraud, which aligns with Target 8.7 of eradicating forced labor, ending modern slavery and human trafficking, and eliminating the worst forms of child labor.

The specific targets under SDG 8 that can be identified based on the article’s content are:

• Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.

The article mentions the Meat Institute’s best practices document, which includes suggestions for corporate codes of conduct, expectations for third-party contractors, instructions for immediate on-the-ground responses to suspicions of child labor, enhanced training, audits, and technological solutions. These measures align with the target of eradicating forced labor, ending human trafficking, and eliminating the worst forms of child labor.

The article also implies the presence of indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group.
• Indicator 8.7.2: Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population, by sex, age group, and form of exploitation.

The article mentions the record influx of undocumented minors and the exploitation of minors by human traffickers using identity fraud. These indicators can be used to measure the prevalence and impact of child labor and human trafficking in the meat and poultry industry.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Fuente: nationalhogfarmer.com

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