Following the trail of Uzbek cotton: taking names

Posted on November 23, 2009 by admin | No comments

Where does the cotton go, and how can Western end-users avoid consuming it? This is a question that needs a lot more exploration. According to a recent press release, the cotton fair in Tashkent was a great success, pushing the slave-harvested commodity out and probably into goods that stock our shops. Reportedly, contracts were signed for over 600,000 tons of this year’s crop alone, and the list of attendees was the largest ever. Clearly, not everyone is getting the message.

Fergana.ru published the list (see it reproduced below) of those attending the conference. It is an interesting document for many reasons, a few of which are highlighted here:

First, it gives manufacturers and retailers some hard data to aid the process of tracing potential Uzbek cotton in their supply chains, a process which is ongoing;
Secondly, it underlines the degree to which large Western commodities firms (Paul Reinhart, Louis Dreyfus, Cargill among others) continue to feel immune from any kind of shame in profiting from the misery and exploitation of children, four years after the International Crisis Group brought it to their direct attention, and in the face of a mountain of evidence in the intervening years. Among the newer intermediaries, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre was well represented, too. Last year it was reported to have sold 200,000 tons of Uzbek cotton, a fairly big chunk of the harvest;
Thirdly, it sheds a tiny sliver of light on the actors who may be financing/insuring these transactions, and therefore also partaking in the wealth created by child exploitation. AIG Insurance and the Royal Bank of Scotland should explain their presence at the fair in this regard;
Lastly, it indicates the increasingly heavy presence of spinners and textile manufacturers, especially from Turkey, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who may be obtaining the cotton directly.