While doing research for our marketing campaign which focuses on the detrimental effects of cotton production on a global scale, I came across this thoroughly depressing video from Uzbekistan. It is a video created by the Environmental Justice Foundation in I think 2007, that clearly illustrates the wide range of negative aspects of cotton production in the small Asian country. You owe it to yourself to watch the video and realize just what goes in to some of the everyday materials we take for granted in America. Uzbekistan is the second largest exporter of cotton in the world and Europe is a huge purchaser of this ill-gotten cotton. Schools are completely shut down throughout the whole country and students of very young ages are forced to work in cotton fields all day to the tune of 3 cents an hour... Too bad on top of that they have to pay an average of 10 dollars a day for lodging and food ( usually 20 children placed in 1 dorm room ) and end up in debt by the end of the harvesting season.
I had no idea this was happening still in the world today...
Luckily, many companies --including Wal-Mart-- have boycotted the use of Uzbek cotton. I stand behind them totally, I want to find out more than I can do to help but the country is so backwards and is currently under the rule of an extreme authoritarian government that renders aid futile.
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