2021 Harvest Report - No Central Government-Imposed Forced Labor; Freedom of Association Needed to Sustain Reforms

A Turning Point in Uzbekistan’s Cotton Harvest:

• No Central Government-Imposed Forced Labor

• Freedom of Association Needed to Sustain Reforms

Download Uzbek Forum’s report here.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

For the first time in eleven consecutive years of monitoring forced child and adult labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields, Uzbek Forum for Human Rights (Uzbek Forum) found no systemic or systematic, government-imposed forced labor during the cotton harvest. Although incidents of forced labor were identified in all seven regions monitored by Uzbek Forum, this is a landmark accomplishment which could pave the way to open Uzbekistan’s textile industry to international markets.

The persistent involvement of government officials in the organization of the harvest and recruitment of pickers presents significant concerns. While the vast majority of pickers interviewed by Uzbek Forum monitors said they picked cotton voluntarily, they still perceived a threat of penalty for refusal to go to the fields.

As in previous years, Uzbek Forum worked with a network of 14 independent human rights monitors who conducted 455 interviews in seven regions during the 2021 harvest from September to November. The majority of interviews were conducted in the second half of the harvest, when the risk of forced labor increases as the amount of cotton available decreases and cotton picking becomes less attractive to voluntary pickers.

For the first time, independent monitors did not document systemic, government-imposed forced labor organized by the central government in any of the areas monitored. Although there were some incidents of forced mobilization of state employees imposed by government officials, it was not on a scale that suggests it was coordinated by the central government.

Uzbekistan has demonstrated that it is able to harvest cotton almost entirely without coercion. This is in part due to a significant increase in pay for cotton pickers which rose incrementally as the harvest progressed to compensate for lower earning potential. The minimum wage for 1 kilo of hand-picked raw cotton at the first stage of the harvest was 1,200 soums (approximately $0.11) and at the second stage 1,500 soums (approximately 0.14). Some pickers in some districts were able to earn up to 2,000 soums per kilo (approximately $0.18).

The central government’s policy of preventing the forced labor of cotton pickers was tangible and was communicated throughout all branches of government. Hokims, the heads of districts and regions, were instructed by the Deputy Prime Minister not to use forced labor and the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations (Ministry of Labor) played an important role in awareness raising efforts to build public knowledge about the prohibition of forced labor to pick cotton. The Labor Inspectorate monitored information published in the media and social media and conducted an investigation and published an official statement on every case identified. These notifications were accompanied by a reminder that forced labor is unacceptable. Uzbek Forum shared information of cases of forced labor with the Ministry of Labor which were immediately investigated by the Labor Inspectorate.

Nevertheless, there remain factors that seriously threaten the long-term durability of the progress achieved to date and further work should be undertaken to consolidate success and continue reforms. Key risks include:

• The lack of an enabling environment including freedom of association for independent monitoring and reporting of labor rights violations.

• Population density and shortage of labor that lead to insufficient voluntary pickers in some areas and some stages of the harvest.

• Persistent involvement or interference of government officials in the organization of the harvest that can lead to the use of coercion on farmers and cotton pickers.

• The lack of fair and independent recruitment systems and reliance on mahalla (neighborhood councils) to recruit pickers.

• The system of contract farming and unequal relationships between farmers and cotton companies or clusters who hold monopolistic power in the districts where they operate and increase the risk of exploitation of farmers and government interference.

• Persistence of the”allocation” system, which sets the size of land allocated for cotton and wheat. The process is controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture and local hokimiyats, which set the cotton production quota for each farmer based on the size and yield of the land. Farmers are not protected from arbitrary inflated cotton production quotas and cannot reduce the amount of land allocated for cotton production.

For these reasons, Uzbekistan remains a high-risk environment for forced labor and other forms of labor exploitation. Given the well documented nature of these labor risks, it is especially important that all who are involved in the production and sourcing of cotton identify these risks and take tailored measures to prevent, mitigate, and remediate any labor abuses that may occur.

At the same time, Uzbekistan presents a unique opportunity for both producers and buyers to build a new kind of cotton supply chain, one that allows for full transparency and traceability, and in which all actors participate in ensuring the protection of labor rights. The Cotton Campaign developed a Responsible Sourcing Framework to leverage this unique opportunity in Uzbekistan while mitigating ongoing human rights risks and promoting strong standards across the industry.

In 2020, Uzbekistan stopped exporting raw cotton to complete the shift to value-added processing in the country. Integrated cotton textile clusters control all aspects of production: cotton growing and harvesting (either directly or by contract with local farmers) and ginning, spinning, fabric production and textile manufacturing operations. Some clusters are innovating, investing in state-of-the-art technology, upskilling, and working to meet international standards. Others have entangled relationships with local officials and leverage this influence to take advantage of farmers in the contracting process, for example by delaying payments for cotton, not paying them in full, or imposing exploitative contracts without negotiation.

A responsible sourcing framework would ensure the involvement of independent monitoring and effective grievance mechanisms to mitigate these risks, and provide companies wishing to source cotton from Uzbekistan with the assurances they need to fulfill their due diligence commitments and supply chain laws. Uzbek Forum is working with the Cotton Campaign to pilot such a framework with brands, retailers and a number of Uzbek textile companies that have demonstrated the will and commitment to prevent labor rights violations in their operations.