Prevención del trabajo infantil en el relevo generacional para la conservación del paisaje cultural cafetero

Abstract

This research focuses primarily on the need to prevent child labor in the rural coffee-growing sector of the Quindío department, considering the importance of children and adolescents' participation in the conservation of the Coffee Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The article argues for the need to transmit coffee culture while respecting the rights and guarantees of children and adolescents in the region, thus preventing potential human rights violations in the practical execution of coffee farming activities. It explains that, in the rural sector, informal work reaches figures exceeding 80%, increasing the risk of exploitation and, consequently, physical and psychological harm, as well as the precariousness of children's and adolescents' rights. It also highlights that the conservation of the Coffee Cultural Landscape depends largely on the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next, as this cultural heritage is being threatened by factors such as the aging of producers and youth migration, which jeopardize the coffee-growing cultural legacy. In conclusion, the conservation of the Coffee Cultural Landscape requires mechanisms that articulate not only legal practices, but also those of preservation and belonging, in a balanced way, in order to achieve, among institutions, families and the community in general, the maintenance and preservation of this identity for the years to come.