The Christian consumer: The case of Uzbek Cotton

Through the Passionist JPIC office we promote the social values of our faith through education and advocacy. In the next few months a couple Catholic and ecumenical groups will promote Catholic social issues through legislative advocacy. However, this week, the Passionist and various communities of faith have taken part of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) to strategize on another form of advocacy that is not as prominent but which is no less powerful. As consumers we participate in the national and global economic reality through our own purchasing power. Just as we practice our political power by voting and advocating on issues as responsible citizens we also have the ability to practice our economic power by applying our purchasing practice in a way that is socially responsible.

Catholic social teaching calls us take this economic responsibility seriously:    

Individual Christians who are shareholders and those responsible within church institutions that own stocks in U.S. corporations must see to it that the invested funds are used responsibly. Although it is a moral and legal fiduciary responsibility of the trustees to ensure an adequate return on investment for the support of the work of the church, their stewardship embraces broader moral concerns. As part owners, they must cooperate in shaping the policies of those companies through dialogue with management, through votes at corporate meetings, through the introduction of resolutions and through participation in investment decisions. (Economic Justice for All, 354)

The work of promoting corporate responsibility involves all the issues that are of social concern to our Catholic faith. However there was one issue that was raised at the ICCR sessions that I would like to profile here as an issue that calls us awareness and action. The issue involves the production of cotton in the country of Uzbekistan. The product is now called Uzbek cotton. Cotton is a prominent commodity in the world. It’s primary use is in textile goods and our clothing wear. Cotton is also a key ingredient in the food supply. Uzbekistan is a major producer of cotton. There are two major issues revolving around Uzbek cotton production and they both are critical issues of social injustice.

The first issue that needs to be raised is with regards to forced child labor. In this case we are not talking about individual private enterprises that engage in this practice. Instead we are referring to a government sanctioned program that forces children to work in the cotton fields of Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan forces children officially from the age of 10 (although children as young as 7 have been found working the fields) to pick cotton. There are approximately 2 million children that are sent to work for 2-3 months a year and they are given a specific quota that they must pick. Children are forced to work in the field unless they are able to buy their way out. The government of Uzbekistan owns all the cotton gins and this have a purchase monopoly of cotton through 3 state owned trade organizations. Uzbekistan pays their farmers $.03 per kilo of cotton. The basic dignity of these children are being violated on these grounds

The second issue that is no less troubling is the critical environmental degradation that is taking place with regards to water, the most basic necessity for all humans. The Aral Sea was once the 4^th largest inland sea in the world. Since 1960, when the Soviet Union diverted all their rivers in order to irrigate the cotton fields, the Sea began to decline steadily until now it is less than 10% of its original size. All native species of fish are gone. Because of the nature of the cotton industry the remnant of the Aral Sea and the diverted rivers have been horribly polluted, dyes have contaminated the fresh water rivers and because the sea has shrunk so dramatically what remains is a highly salinized. Ironically the area now has 70% unemployment (ironic in that the reason for the environmental degradation was for the promotion of a particular industry.) This unemployment has been particularly felt in the fishing industry which is practically non-existent.

Even with international pressure Uzbekistan is unwilling to seriously address this issue. As religious investors the Passionist and the other ICCR members are strategizing how to utilize our investment portfolio to organize on this issue. Investors can go to ICCR to take part of these strategies as Socially Responsible Investors (SRI) advocates. As consumers however everyone can take part of this issue. The Uzbek cotton campaign is a very popular movement and many companies are boycotting Uzbek cotton in their own products. Most recently LL Bean, Hanes and J. Crew are now part of this movement. However there are still a number of American garment companies that are using Uzbek cotton like Gymboree, Abercrombie & Fitch and Fred’s. Here are two organizations that offer updates on the boycott of Uzbek cotton.

The Cotton campaign: http://www.cottoncampaign.org/

Environmental Justice Foundation: http://www.ejfoundation.org/page141.html