Responsible cotton sourcing event

Summertime, but the living ain't easy

A range of tactics will be needed to achieve widespread change to the conditions of the 250 million people worldwide who work in cotton production.

This was the conclusion reached by the retailers, cotton merchants, trade unions, campaigning organisations and UN representatives that packed ETI's offices on 27 May at an event that shone a spotlight on conditions in the global cotton industry.

The vast majority of cotton workers live in poor countries, toiling in hot, dangerous conditions for poverty wages. Forced and child labour is prevalent in some countries, notably Uzbekistan, where the state sanctions it.

The Briefing Session on Sourcing Responsible Cotton was jointly organised by US-based shareholder advocacy body As You Sow, the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Tesco and ETI.

A key aim of the event was to raise awareness among retailers and others of the extent of exploitation, both of people and of the planet, that results from producing the 24 million tonnes of cotton we consume every year.

Tesco also shared its experience of using a new online tool that will enable them to trace their cotton supply back to the country of origin.

Said ETI Director Dan Rees, "The cotton supply chain is incredibly complex, and the development of new tools that enable retailers to find out where their cotton is coming from will enable them to start engaging seriously in tackling the problems faced by cotton workers.

"We need to keep building the momentum that is developing on this issue. A collective solution is the only one that's viable. A key goal for us will be to facilitate closer dialogue among all the key players in the industry, from retailers right down to the farmers."