Where is the slave labour?
Forced labour occurs in three main areas in Bolivia: the sugar cane industry, the Brazil nuts industry and on private ranches in the Chaco region. • In 2003 there were 21,000 forced labourers including children under 14, working in harvesting sugar cane in the Santa Cruz area (ILO estimate) • In 1997 Bolivia became the biggest exporter of Brazil nuts meeting ¾ of the world supply. The industry is 75% of the economic activity in the North Amazon region and employs half the workers in the region. Each year 31,000 people migrate to harvest Brazil nuts. They work as forced labourers for 12 hours a day and live in miserable conditions having to build their own shelters and with no drinkable water. Most leave at the end of the season but over 5,000 remain unable to pay off their debts. • Forced labourers on the ranches are from the indigenous Guarani people. A typical family works from 6am-12 without a break, has a small lunch of beans and then work until 5pm. They may then work on their own
