Global food systems generate substantial social externalities that are rarely reflected in market prices. Among these, child labor represents a particularly severe yet often hidden cost in smallholder-based agricultural value chains.
Using primary household- and child-level survey data from coffee-producing communities in five regions in Uganda, this study examines the prevalence, drivers, and educational implications of child labor in coffee production. Results show that 13.9% of children are engaged in child labor with boys being significantly more engaged than girls.
Turning to coffee-specific activities, 42% of children participated in at least one coffee-related task during the last two agricultural seasons, with slightly higher participation among boys than girls. Regression results show that child labor is strongly associated with children’s age, school attendance status, the relation to the household head, and the educational attainment of the household head.