Expert

Dr. Sayan Chakrabarty

Description of the previous tasks at ZEF Previous Position at ZEF: Junior Researcher Previous ZEF department: ZEF b Previous research areas at ZEF: - Growth, Inequality and Poverty - Globalization and International Trade Previous research countries at ZEF: - Bangladesh - India - Nepal Donor of doctoral study: DAAD and GTZ

Does ‘Social Labeling’ Displace Child Labour and Increase Child Schooling? : Evidence from South Asian Countries In recent years, strong concern about the social status of export commodities as well as questions of ethical trade in the globalization process have been raised throughout the importing countries. As a result, the demand for establishing a ‘social clause’ in the World Trade Organization (WTO) or implementing trade sanctions has increased, especially with respect to combating child labor in the carpet and garment production. However, resistance has been formed, especially by developing countries, against linking trade measures with social standards. As an alternative, initiatives like ‘Social Labeling’ were initiated for maintaining international labor standards according to conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Social labeling means that a product which has been produced under certain social criteria is certified as socially acceptable. The consumer has to pay a higher price for the labeled product which the producer is supposed to get. Social labeling programs are also increasingly combined with schooling to allow children having lost their jobs in the export sectors due to labeling to go to school. In this study labeling programs in the carpet industry of Nepal and India (e.g. RUGMARK, Kaleen, STEP and Care & Fair) and in the leather and shrimp industries in Bangladesh will be discussed. This study will focus on questions like - do the labeling initiatives have a positive welfare effect on beneficiaries through the schooling program? - what are the factors that influence the ‘opportunity cost of schooling’ of the children? - does social labeling decrease opportunity cost of schooling through its rehabilitation activities and increase child schooling? Using the case studies of Bangladesh, India and Nepal, findings of this study are expected to shed some light on the effects of social labeling programs in developing countries. Major focus will be put on the impact on the welfare of children. Thus, the results are also expected to have significant policy implications for the ILO, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) and particularly to the WTO.

Chakrabarty S. and U. Grote. 2009. Child Labor in Carpet Weaving: Impact of Social Labeling in India and Nepal. World Development, 37 (10): 1683-1693.

Chakrabarty, S. and Grote, U. 2007. Impact of Social Labeling on Child Labor in the Indian Carpet Industry. Leibniz Universität Hannover, Faculty of Economics and Management, Discussion Paper No. 366, ISSN: 0949-9962.
Further Information: www.wiwi.uni-hannover.de/Forschung/Diskussionspapiere/dp-366.pdf

Chakrabarty, S., U. Grote and G. Lüchters. 2006. The Trade-Off Between Child Labor and Schooling: Influence of Social Labeling NGOs in Nepal. ZEF Discussion Paper No. 102.
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Chakrabarty, S., Daniel, Friedland, Hanninen, Ihne, Schreinemachers and Kustov. 2006. Making Services Work for Poor People: From Knowledge to Practice. The panel and working group discussions in WBI and GTZ conference. Capacity Building International, Bonn.
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Chakrabarty, S.. 2006. Does ‘Social Labeling’ Displace Child Labor and Increase Child Schooling? : Evidence from Nepal. International Labour Organization (ILO), Geneva.
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Chakrabarty, S. 2006. Do Social Labeling NGOs have any Influence on Child Labor? Empirical Evidence from Nepal. In: Grote U., Basu A. and Chau N. (eds.): New Frontiers in Environmental and Social Labeling. Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg,
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Chakrabarty, S. 2005. Nutrition and Child Labor Supply in Nepal. Consumer and Market Demand Conference, Canadian Agricultural Policy Research Network, Banff, Canada.
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Chakrabarty, S. 2004. Questionnaire for Field Research in India and Nepal.
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