Labor

Palm oil is one of the world’s most widely used vegetable oils. Like many agricultural supply chains, it carries risks of child labor and forced labor, especially among small suppliers. Through the US Department of Labor Palma Futuro project, Partners of the Americas worked to reduce those risks by helping palm oil companies and growers build social compliance systems, policies, training, and procedures that protect workers’ rights. The project worked with five palm oil processing plants in Colombia, grower associations in Ecuador, and roughly 340 palm growers in their supply chains. It also trained industry associations, labor unions, and labor officials, and shared lessons with partners in Peru and Brazil.

Of the 117 palm oil companies and growers assessed at the start and end of the project, 113 improved their labor practice scores, and 114 improved their management systems. All five Colombian processing plants set up social performance teams, and 20 people were certified as trainers to carry the work forward. The project also worked with 48 communities in Colombia around palm oil operations, and published research on child labor, forced labor, and labor conditions in the sector on an online knowledge platform. The project demonstrates Partners of the Americas’ ability to bring companies, workers, communities, and governments together to address labor risks in global supply chains.

In Ecuador and Panama, poverty pushes many children, especially indigenous and migrant children, into work instead of school. Through the US Department of Labor EducaFuturo project, Partners of the Americas worked to reduce child labor by expanding educational opportunities for children and youth and helping their families earn more. The project ran learning programs for children ages 5 to 13, offered job-skills and leadership training for youth ages 15 to 17, and provided households with training, seed capital, and help reaching government social programs. EducaFuturo delivered the work in partnership with local organizations and government ministries in both countries.

EducaFuturo enrolled more than 6,000 children and youth in educational services, including 4,802 children in learning programs and 1,381 youth in job-skills training, about three-quarters of whom graduated. An independent final evaluation found that children worked fewer hours while taking part. The project provided livelihood support to more than 1,700 families and trained over 500 teachers and facilitators in its learning methods. Schools and government agencies adopted these methods, and banana, plantain, and coffee associations in Panama signed codes of conduct to prevent child labor in their supply chains. The project demonstrates Partners of the Americas’ ability to combine education, family livelihoods, and government and private sector partnerships to protect children from child labor.

Mega-events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup bring a surge of short-term work and, with it, a heightened risk of labor and human rights abuses. Through the US Department of State Mexico United 2026 program, Partners of the Americas helped Mexico prepare to prevent and respond to those risks before and during the tournament. The project worked with local labor rights organizations to prepare workers and union leaders for tournament-related risks, engaged national and local authorities to strengthen labor conciliation centers, and raised public awareness of labor rights in the context of the World Cup. This work was delivered in partnership with Centro de Reflexión y Acción Laboral (CEREAL), Red de Mujeres Sindicalistas (RMS), and Centro de los Derechos del Migrante (CDM).

The project reached over 1,500 workers and human rights defenders in all three host cities, trained 211 conciliators and labor guidance staff to resolve disputes, and prepared 101 journalists to report on labor risks around the tournament. It produced a model for protecting workers around large-scale events that can be adapted to future tournaments and other major events. Labor authorities, unions, and other partners added labor rights at major events to their own agendas, and the project reinforced Voz Laboral, Partners of the Americas’ online labor rights platform, as a trusted source of practical information for workers.

Colombia’s ports are critical links in global supply chains, but the sector has faced risks of forced labor, child labor, and other labor violations. Through the US Department of Labor Colombia Ports program, Partners of the Americas worked from 2020 to 2025 to bring Colombia’s port sector into compliance with national and international labor standards. The project strengthened workers’ organizations, promoted employer compliance, and built social dialogue among workers, employers, and government to resolve disputes.

The project brought port workers and employers into regional dialogue forums for the first time, strengthened five workers’ organizations across four ports, and distributed more than 4,000 copies of a guide on workers’ rights in outsourced jobs. One union used its training to negotiate its first collective agreement, winning wage increases for its members. Social dialogue reduces disruptions and abuses, showing that worker protection and supply chain reliability go hand in hand. Port issues were added to the formal agendas of regional dialogue forums, and union leaders and Ministry of Labor officials said they plan to keep using these spaces after the project.

Ecuador’s banana and cut flower industries supply major global markets, including the United States, which buys 43% of the country’s cut flower exports and about 15% of its bananas. Both sectors, however, have a significant prevalence of child and forced labor, and labor standards are weakly enforced. Through the US Department of Labor AgroJusto project, Partners of the Americas worked to eradicate child labor and forced labor and promote labor rights across these two supply chains. The project aimed to strengthen local governments’ capacity to enforce labor laws, raise workers’ awareness of their rights, and improve access to remedies for violations.

The goal was supply chains where children stay in school and adult workers earn a fair living in safe conditions. Because international buyers increasingly require clean supply chains, compliance protects both workers and the export jobs they depend on.

This project integrated and expanded upon existing efforts in Mexico to promote information about the 2019 Mexican Labor Reform, ensuring that workers, employers, and other key labor stakeholders can effectively navigate and utilize the country’s new labor systems. By strengthening outreach and education, the project supports fair labor standards and more balanced competition within North American trade. To advance its objectives, Partners of the Americas collaborated with local and international civil society organizations, and engaged prominent labor rights organizations, unions, and confederations in five key sectors—mining, auto assembly, auto parts, steel/aluminum, and electronics—where Mexico’s labor reforms have significant implications for labor conditions and trade commitments.

The project’s initiatives included equipping workers, employers, and union leaders with knowledge of their rights and the mechanisms available to address labor disputes. The project also strengthened the capacity of the federal and state-level Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare and key institutions to conduct labor rights outreach and ensure effective implementation of labor reforms. By improving awareness of labor rights and promoting fair workplace practices, the project supported Mexico’s efforts to uphold labor commitments under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This contributed to a stronger, more stable labor environment that benefits both Mexican and U.S. workers, reinforcing ethical labor practices and supporting fair competition across North American supply chains.

Women in Mexico’s workforce face workplace harassment, low pay, and limited representation in union leadership. These barriers constrain both their economic security and their voice in shaping working conditions. Through this US Department of Labor-funded program, Partners of the Americas increased women’s leadership in unions, strengthened safeguards against harassment and abuse, and advocated for fair wages and compliance with minimum labor standards. The project worked with civil society organizations, women workers, unions, and employer associations, and integrated women’s labor rights into existing labor programs.

The project trained more than 420 women workers and union leaders and provided legal support to 337 workers facing labor rights violations. It also supported companies and unions in adopting their own women’s rights committees and anti-harassment policies. Embedding women’s rights into existing labor institutions, rather than running standalone activities, helps protections outlast the project: a national network of women union leaders that the project helped strengthen remained active after the project ended.