Tesco has recently decided to ban Uzbek cotton and the Environment Justice Foundation could not be more happy about it, according to EJF Foundation. Uzbek cotton is used to make clothing such as t-shirts and Sweatshirts. After three years of investigation into the Uzbekistan production of cotton the EJF has found that there has been child labour involved in the production. Children are being placed in hazardous and strenuous work conditions, working long hours and for little or no pay. BBC recently did a Newsnight expose on the discoveries. Now Tesco has followed the lead of the EJF and is banning all raw cotton from Uzbekistan. Tesco is the third largest retailer so this is will place a major impact on the production in Uzkesistan. Uzbek cotton is the third largest exporter of cotton in the world and most of their exports go to Europe. If more retailers begin to ban cotton from the country then it may be enough to change the way they are producing their materials.
Since the ban, Tesco is implementing new procedures to trace where their material comes from and know exactly what is going on in the process of making it. They understand that continued purchase of the cotton will be supporting the abuse that goes into production.
(c) Joseph Bloggs,www.sxc.hu
