Balsu has operated a farm-level labor monitoring program “In a Nutshell,” in Türkiye since 2014 in partnership with the Young Lives Foundation (YLF). “In a Nutshell” aims to eradicate the use of child labor for harvesting hazelnuts through various intervention models, such as implementing internal monitoring and facilitating access to safe spaces and age-appropriate education for children. In addition, the program also seeks to raise awareness in the regions that grow hazelnuts, and throughout Türkiye, to help influence the development of a sustainable model for combatting child labor more broadly.
During the 2021 and 2022 hazelnut harvests, FLA conducted due diligence and focused assessments of Balsu’s labor monitoring and remediation program. In its third consecutive year of focused assessments, FLA analyzed the “In a Nutshell” program’s performance during the 2023 hazelnut harvest and the winter 2023-spring 2024 activities. This assessment evaluates the effectiveness and the impact of the program and presents recommendations to improve it.
