Cotton

EJF campaigns to reduce the human and environmental costs of cotton production, exposing human rights abuses, pesticide misuse, water-shortages and calling for supply-chain transparency. We have investigated and exposed state-sponsored forced child labour in Uzbekistan resulting in immediate improvements to international supply chains and retailer policies.

The clothing industry is one of the greatest polluters on the planet, responsible for 6.7% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Fast fashion means we now produce and throw away more clothes than ever before. In Europe, each individual buys over 30 kg of clothing every year, on average. Worldwide, 87% of clothing is landfilled or incinerated and less than 1% is never made into new garments.

A rubbish truck of textiles goes to landfill every second.

Cotton could be a sustainable choice were it not currently cultivated almost entirely according to worst-practice. It is invariably farmed intensely using toxic pesticides and massive quantities of freshwater. Expensive inputs including genetically modified seeds keeps farmers in the Global South in poverty.

EJF is committed to promoting organic cotton as an environmentally sustainable and economically viable alternative, and to working with partners across the globe to support the transition to a greener future.