As the most commonly used natural fiber in textiles, cotton production has a wide-reaching impact on both people and the environment. And according to a new report from sustainable supply chain nonprofit Solidaridad, workers are feeling the negative effects of the fiber’s production processes.
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Titled “Cotton and Labour,” the report looks at the role cotton production plays in the lives of the estimated 24-32 million cotton farmers worldwide, along with millions more seasonal workers.
Solidaridad sustainable fashion policy advisor Tamar Hoek, the report’s author, examined that impact based on three key factors: poverty and the lack of a living income, forced and child labor , and the impact of agrochemicals on the heath and safety of cotton workers.
“Together this interconnected triad traps smallholder cotton laborers in a vicious and unsustainable cycle,” Hoek wrote in the report. “Only direct intervention in the ‘business as usual’ approach of cotton supply chain actors can turn the situation around.”
Many smallholder cotton farmers live in poverty, according to the report, due to factors that range from inflation-induced higher energy and fertilizer costs to changing climate conditions. Throw in continuing reverberations from the pandemic and global unrest—not to mention competition from cotton-alternative materials—and the volatility of growing and selling cotton can make it difficult to break even, much less turn a profit.
“Cotton is a commodity traded around the world and, consequently, its price can fluctuate,” Hoek said in the report. “Recent crises even meant that price prediction became impossible. This leaves cotton farmers at the mercy of the market and supply chain conditions on which they have very limited influence.”
In both small and large cotton operations, the problem of forced and child labor persists despite calls for change. According to the report, 71 percent of all child labor takes place in agricultural supply chains, with cotton listed as one of the most likely crops to be produced with child labor in at least 18 countries. In Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, both adults and children have been trafficked for cotton production.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) said that forced and child labor often happens in countries where the government plays a key role in the cotton sector. Educational barriers, weak legislation and historical precedence can also lead to these labor practices. The issue worsened during the pandemic, with children who were out of school forced into manual harvesting, weeding, watering, ginning and spraying pesticides on cotton.
Agricultural chemicals can seriously affect the health and wellbeing of cotton workers, according to the report. Though identified as “Highly Hazardous Pesticides” by the United Nations, some pesticides such as paraquat (Gramoxone) remain in use globally due to their inexpensive price or the lack of farmer education about the risks.
Overuse of pesticides also causes pest resistance, forcing farmers to double down on their usage. That, in turn, leads to greater health impacts. According to the report, pesticide poisoning affects around 345 million (44 percent) of farmers and workers each year, with that number soaring to more than 80 percent annually in low- and middle-income countries.
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“Poorer farmers are, understandably, particularly risk averse,” when it comes to conserving their cotton, the report said. “The imperative to protect their crop and its livelihood may drive excessive pesticide use.”
“However, regulation plays a major role, too,” Hoek wrote. “Regulators in low-income countries do not have the capacity to fully evaluate the impact of pesticides on human health.”
While better governmental regulation and educational practices for cotton farmers and laborers would help mitigate many of these problems, cotton buyers have the power to make a significant impact, according to the white paper.
As customers of the cotton industry, textile makers and apparel brands have leverage in their buying habits to reward those who treat their workers fairly and safely. And just as there has been a greater emphasis on sourcing sustainably produced fibers that have a lesser impact on the environment, companies must hold the same rigorous standards for the human aspect of cotton production.
Hoek suggested that companies invest in producers instead of chasing the cheapest cotton. That means implementing purchasing practices such as long-term contracts for producers and spreading payments throughout the year to create a more reliable cashflow for smallholder households.
Holding producers accountable for transparency could also improve working conditions for laborers, she wrote. Cotton buyers can demand proof of living wages for workers and verify that no forced or child labor is used in the production process.
Brands that proactively engage with multi-stakeholder initiatives that can play a role in providing interventions to address issues in the cotton value chain, she believes. “Engage with multi-stakeholder initiatives that bring smallholder farmers and workers to the table in a meaningful way, and enhance partnerships with producer organizations to support and enable genuine participation,” she suggested.
Ultimately, global brands that make huge profits off the sale of cotton products have a responsibility to ensure that everyone upstream in the supply chain reaps the benefits of that profitability, the report said.
“Improving farmers’ livelihoods has usually been addressed through attempts to increase productivity, improve access to markets and market information, and/or stronger producing organizations,” Hoek wrote. “However, small-scale cotton farmers are still poor. The root causes are not being addressed, and prices have not been increased.”
Monthly Cotton Economic Letter: June 2024
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