Yeşilova Child-Friendly Support Center: A Rights-Based Intervention Model in the Rose Supply Chain
Turkey is one of the world’s leading producers of rose oil and holds a strategic position in the global cosmetics sector. The majority of the roses produced in the country are exported as raw materials to cosmetics brands, particularly those based in the European Union. The Isparta region and the Burdur–Yeşilova basin form the center of this production, generating significant economic value for both local employment and global supply chains.
The core link of this chain is formed by seasonal migratory agricultural workers, who travel from different provinces to work in the rose harvest that lasts for about one month each year. A large portion of these workers are low-income families dependent on agricultural labor and Syrian migrant workers under temporary protection.
For EU-based companies sourcing roses from Turkey, this situation represents a critical area of human rights impact and is directly relevant to their obligations under Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) regulations.
In response to these challenges, Minerva BHR, together with the Germany-based cosmetics brand WALA and its local supplier Aydın Gülyağı, has been working since 2021 to address human rights risks in the rose supply chain. The collaboration began with a human rights impact assessment during the rose harvest and the establishment of a pilot “Child-Friendly Space.” This initial step laid the groundwork for ongoing efforts over the following four years, leading to the development and implementation of the “Child-Focused Support Center (CFSC)” model — designed to prevent child labor, strengthen children’s psycho-social resilience, and raise families’ rights-based awareness.
Child-Focused Support Center Model and Implementation
The model offers a practical example of how the “prevention and remediation” principles outlined in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and HREDD frameworks can be applied within agricultural supply chains.
Minerva’s Child-Oriented, Rights-Based and Psycho-Social Support Approach is built upon three main pillars:
- Prevention: Ensuring that children are removed from labor settings and provided with access to safe learning environments.
- Protection: Safeguarding children’s physical and emotional well-being through psycho-social support, nonviolent communication, and safe space practices.
Remediation: Supporting children’s access to education, providing individual guidance for families, and coordinating with public institutions to strengthen rights-based access mechanisms.
At the core of the initiative lies the CFSC established in Yeşilova, Burdur during the rose harvest season. The center provides children with a safe environment for learning and play, while ongoing engagement with families and local communities enables effective referrals to protection, health, and education services.
The field implementation adopts a theme-based learning approach responsive to children’s developmental needs. Weekly themes are designed to enhance children’s self-awareness, socio-emotional skills, and interaction with their surroundings. Each theme builds on the previous ones, and daily activities are structured around the central theme of the day. This approach allows children to expand their learning from concrete to abstract concepts, reinforcing positive behaviors through daily routines.
Since 2022, the Minerva team has spent an average of 35 days per season in the field, directly engaging with over 70 children and more than 80 adults annually, and conducting more than 200 workshops, group activities, and awareness sessions.
Observed Impacts
Over the past four years, the CFSC model has generated significant social impact at both the field and institutional levels. Its continuous implementation has helped strengthen child protection awareness, increase women’s visibility and participation in social life, and improve families’ rights-based understanding.
- Children: Regular participation in safe learning environments has enhanced children’s social and emotional skills, leading to greater confidence, cooperation, and sense of belonging. Family guidance sessions and awareness activities have contributed to improved school attendance and reduced child labor risks.
- Women: Women-only and mixed group sessions have supported women’s empowerment while promoting the shared responsibility of caregiving within the community. Women have gained knowledge on health, reproductive well-being, self-care, and child development, while taking on paid or voluntary roles that increased their participation in decision-making and public visibility.
- Community: Joint sessions with men and women have strengthened nonviolent communication, solidarity, and shared responsibility. These interactions fostered trust, encouraged collective caregiving, and promoted a more inclusive and cooperative community environment.
- Civil Society Collaboration: Field activities have been carried out in collaboration with local NGOs, expanding outreach and strengthening referral mechanisms. This cooperation has enhanced the community’s overall capacity for protection and awareness.
- Access and Accountability: A multilingual grievance and feedback mechanism (Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic) has widened communication channels for workers and families, reinforcing transparency and accountability among both field teams and employers.
- Institutional Cooperation: Continuous coordination with public institutions—including Governorships, District Governorships, District Directorates of National Education, District Health Directorates, Social Service Centers, and the Gendarmerie—has improved families’ access to education, health, and social support services, while strengthening links between local protection mechanisms.
The CFSC experience exemplifies a collaborative system grounded in the shared responsibility of the private sector, public institutions, and civil society. It translates the “prevention” and “remediation” principles of HREDD into concrete practice within agricultural supply chains. As such, the model stands as a scalable and replicable good practicethat can be adapted to other seasonal agricultural sectors beyond the rose harvest.
Drawing on local expertise inspired by international best practices, Minerva BHR works to foster dialogue among public, private, and civil society actors, supporting the spread of business models that respect human rights and the environment while developing practical, effective, and applicable solutions.
Today, companies are increasingly prioritizing their sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) efforts in line with the evolving national and international regulatory landscape — particularly the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The expectations of commercial partners and financial institutions also play a key role in shaping this transformation.
Established in this context, Minerva BHR Academy aims to raise awareness among businesses about respect for human rights and the environment, responsible business conduct, and compliance with relevant legislation. It also seeks to support individuals and organizations that wish to deepen their knowledge and experience at the intersection of business and human rights.
Through trainings delivered by our expert team, participants gain insight into the obligations, expectations, and good practices relating to responsible business conduct under international, regional, and national norms, enhancing their
capacities in these areas.
Our Trainings
Minerva BHR Academy offers a broad range of trainings in the field of business and human rights. Our programs are tailor-made to fit the participant profile, sectoral context, and institutional needs. Each program is designed in line with the specific priorities of the organization and may include the following topics:
- Fundamentals of Business and Human Rights
- Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) processes
- EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and related legislation
- EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Taxonomy Regulation, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, and Deforestation Regulation
- German Supply Chain Act (LkSG) and its implementation
- Implications of EU legislation for businesses operating in Türkiye
- Responsible supply chain management and risk-based approaches
- Responsible contracting and shared responsibility in supply chains
- ESG reporting and the development of sustainability strategies
- Human rights risk analysis and stakeholder engagement
- Corporate grievance mechanisms and effective remediation pathways
- Workplace inclusion, equal opportunity, and diversity management
General Information
- Trainings typically last 3 to 4 hours.
- They can be delivered in person or online.
- An interactive approach is adopted through workshops, case studies, and group exercises.
- Participants receive training materials and a certificate of participation upon completion.
- The content of each training can be customized or combined based on institutional needs.
For further details and training arrangements, please contact us at hello@minervabhr.com.
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