Report highlights forced labour issues in Uzbek cotton harvest
A report by the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights on Uzbekistan’s 2023 cotton harvest has found that local officials resorted to forced labour in districts with a shortage of voluntary pickers, forcing some employees of several state organisations to pick cotton or pay for a replacement picker.
The report, Uzbek Cotton Harvest 2023 – Risk of Forced Labour Remains High, comes at a time when global brands and retailers are carefully monitoring the viability of sourcing from Uzbekistan following the end of systemic state-imposed forced labour.
For the full story, see the March 2024 edition of Textiles Eastern Europe.
Image: Uzbek Forum for Human Rights