Project to Improve Adherence to International Labor Standards in the Agricultural Sector in Ecuador

The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $4,740,000 total costs (subject to the availability of Federal funds) for one cooperative agreement to fund a technical assistance project in support of Ecuador to improve adherence to international labor standards, specifically related to child labor, forced labor, and the promotion of labor rights, within the agricultural sector, particularly in the banana and cut flower supply chains. This project seeks to address evidence regarding the prevalence of child labor in the banana and cut flower sectors, as well as to build awareness and capacity to mitigate the risk of other labor rights abuses, including forced labor, and to support efforts to address occupational safety and health issues. This project will work in both the banana and cut flower sectors and will be implemented in two provinces. The applicant must select one of the following banana producing provinces: El Oro, Guayas, or Los Rios; and one of the following cut flower producing provinces: Azuay, Pichincha, and Cotopaxi.  In support of the project objective, the project will use an area-based approach to achieve the following: Outcome 1: Increased capacity of government officials to enforce labor laws specifically related to child labor, forced labor, occupational safety and health and other labor rights in the agricultural sector. Outcome 2: Increased worker knowledge about child labor, forced labor, occupational safety and health and other labor rights in the agricultural sector. Outcome 3: Increased worker access to remediation of labor law violations within the agricultural sector