Is there child Labour in Uzbekistan?
Children in Uzbekistan are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in commercial sexual exploitation. (1-3) Uzbekistan has not carried out a national child labor survey to determine the prevalence of child labor in sectors other than cotton production.
Does Uzbekistan have slavery?
Uzbekistan has the second highest prevalence of modern slavery in the world, and is home to the fourth largest population of enslaved persons, according to a new report.
What was the USSR’s goal with cotton production in Uzbekistan?
The goal was to flood land that had formerly been desert pasture in an attempt to create suitable fields for rice and cotton. Rice to feed the people and cotton to serve as a cash crop.
Is cotton production Labour intensive?
Although the cotton plant grows wild in many dry tropical or sub-tropical areas, it is a labour-intensive crop.
Does Uzbekistan grow cotton?
With annual cotton production of about 1 million ton of fiber (4–5% of world production) and exports of 700,000-800,000 tons (10% of world exports), Uzbekistan is the 8th largest producer and the 11th largest exporter of cotton in the world.
What happens to Uzbek citizens every year?
Every autumn over a million Uzbek and Turkmen citizens are forced by their own government to leave their regular jobs and go to the fields to pick cotton. A large proportion of this cotton ends up in global supply chains and in our high street shops.
How many slaves does Uzbekistan have?
1.2 million slaves
This situation has caused Uzbekistan to have one of the world’s highest rates of modern slavery, with approximately 1.2 million slaves, according to the Global Slavery Index 2016. For many years, the Uzbekistan cotton industry has been under scrutiny for its practices and treatment of workers.
Who buys cotton from Uzbekistan?
Cotton production peaked in 1988 to 8,000 bales and as of 2012 is around 4500 bales (1 million tons). The reason for this downward trend is attributed to the precedence given to cultivate food crops, an essential requirement. Its cotton exports are mainly to China, Bangladesh, Korea and Russia.
What led to Uzbekistan’s rise and fall of its cotton industry?
This rise was made possible by two main factors, the expansion of irrigated area and Soviet central planning. Irrigation allowed increased crop production. Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union and independence of Uzbekistan in 1991, the politics of Uzbek cotton have simultaneously seen both inertia and change.
How much of the world’s cotton comes from Uzbekistan?
With annual cotton production of about 1 million ton of fiber (4–5% of world production) and exports of 700,000-800,000 tons (10% of world exports), Uzbekistan is the 8th largest producer and the 11th largest exporter of cotton in the world. Cotton’s nickname in Uzbekistan is “white gold” (oq oltin).
Why is cotton production unsustainable?
The reason is mostly pesticide debt. And this is mostly due to the cotton industry. Also, child labor and forced labor are a common occurrence in the cotton industry. So, the production of cotton not just harms our natural environment, but is also back-breaking for our social environment.