DUSHANBE, September 21, 2011, Asia-Plus — The article by James Kilner, entitled “Global Clothing Brands Boycott Uzbek Cotton,” which was posted on The Telegraph website on September 18 notes that more than 60 of the world’s top clothing labels, including Burberry and Levi, are to boycott cotton from Uzbekistan over claims the government forces children to harvest the crop.
Swedish high street retailer H&M, and sportswear companies Adidas and Puma were among the brands who pledged not to buy cotton from Uzbekistan that they know has been collected by children.
The groups have reportedly signed a pledge under the Responsible Sourcing Network, a project organized by the US-based advocacy group As You Sow which is organizing the boycott.
“We are a major cotton consumer and like many companies, we take a clear stand against child labor, regardless of country,” said Henrik Lampa, corporate social responsibility manager at H&M.
According to the article, US retail industry group American Apparel and Footwear Association, which represents more than 800 companies, had previously signed up for the pledge but Andrew Behar, Chief Executive of As You Sow, said the new individual pledges had extra significance.
“It’s about integrity and transparency,” he said. “It’s different when you sign up individually and put your logo on it.”
We will recall that Tajik cotton has been blacklisted by the United States. On July 19, 2010, the U.S. Labor Department included cotton from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on the list of commodities produced using indentured or child labor.
Cotton is cash-strapped Tajikistan”s second-largest export product after aluminum.
