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Date of publication: January 15, 2008

Source: EcoTextile News

UK retail giant Tesco has asked its suppliers to stop sourcing cotton from Uzbekistan after an investigation by the Environmental Justice Foundation found children were being forced to work in the former Soviet country’s cotton industry.

In a letter to its suppliers, Terry Green, CEO of Tesco Clothing said, “the use of organised and forced child labour is completely unacceptable and leads us to conclude that whilst these practices persist in Uzbekistan we cannot support the use of cotton from Uzbekistan in our textiles.”

Green also called for Tesco’s suppliers to improve supply chain transparency, “We understand that cotton is an internationally traded commodity and that raw cotton sources are not always easily identifiable,” he said. “However from autumn/winter 2008, onwards we will require you [suppliers], wherever possible, to identify the source of raw cotton used in Tesco textiles products and document this.” He also noted that Tesco reserves the right to randomly audit records to monitor the source of raw cotton.

The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) has applauded Tesco’s decision following ongoing discussions between Tesco and EJF about the possibility of placing a ban on all cotton sourced from Uzbekistan for its clothing range, homeware and corporate purchases.

Steve Trent, Executive Director of EJF said, “This ground-breaking move by Tesco – unprecedented from a major UK retailer – has the potential to change a multi-billion dollar industry. Transparency within the supply chain is essential in stopping abuses such as those seen in Uzbekistan”.

The decision by Tesco comes following a 3-year investigation on cotton production in Uzbekistan conducted by the EJF that led to the recent BBC Newsnight exposé on forced child labour in the country.

“We have spent three years campaigning to have Uzbek cotton removed from the market while it continues to be produced with forced child labour, to the detriment of the environment and only to the benefit of the ruling elite,” said Trent.

EJF says that Uzbekistan receives around £500 million annually in export revenues from its cotton crop. Europe is a major buyer of Uzbek cotton.

“We are urging all retailers to follow Tesco’s move to send a message to the government of Uzbekistan that its flagrant human-rights abuses cannot continue. Tesco has proven that the sourcing of cotton fibre and the tracking of supply chains are entirely possible and there is no excuse for all other retailers of cotton goods not to pledge a commitment to do the same,” concluded Trent.