Kathmandu: FAO Nepal convened the first national consultation workshop on the DIGIChild Initiative, bringing together government counterparts, development partners, civil society, academia and the private sector to explore innovative, data‑driven approaches to addressing child labour in agriculture.

Addressing the workshop, Arun GC, Assistant FAO Representative (Programme), emphasized that with 87 percent of child labour in Nepal concentrated in agriculture, there is an urgent need to move beyond reactive responses. He highlighted DIGIChild’s potential to use GIS and predictive data analytics to identify high‑risk areas early and support evidence‑based prevention and policy action.

The workshop featured special technical presentations and scene‑setting by Adriano Bolchini, Child Labour Specialist, FAO HQ, and Jan Rossi, Spatial Economist, FAO HQ, introducing the DIGIChild methodology and its potential application in the Nepali context.

The event was addressed by Januka Pandit, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), and Sara Alanen, Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Finland, with closing remarks from Ms Mina Devi Sob, Member, National Dalit Commission, highlighting inclusion, equity and collective responsibility in safeguarding children’s rights.

This first consultation marks a key step toward adapting DIGIChild to Nepal’s context and strengthening national efforts to end child labour in line with SDG 8.7.