Cotton, the white gold of Uzbekistan? The fiber, grown on more than a million hectares, had been established as a monoculture under the Soviet regime, and every autumn, until recently, its silky filaments were collected thanks to the forced labor of hundreds of thousands of civil servants and of schoolchildren who were sent to the fields during the harvest season. Uzbekistan eradicated forced labor in the fields, including that of children, a few years ago. But the country remains the sixth largest cotton producer in the world.
This report was financed with the support of the Transat-Le Devoir International Journalism Fund.
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Cotton pickers work in a field near the town of Namangan, Uzbekistan Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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Cotton fibers ready to be harvested in a field on the Botirjon Isayev farm near Namangan Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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Until recently, Uzbek cotton was picked through the forced labor of hundreds of thousands of civil servants and schoolchildren who were sent to the fields each fall. Conditions have changed, but the work remains difficult. Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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With their backs bent and their entire bodies covered to protect themselves from the blazing sun, the workers manage to harvest 150 to 200 kilos of cotton per day. Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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Bags filled with cotton fibers Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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Ikronjon Dadabayev (left) and Israel Kyrgyzbayev (right), two of the co-owners of the Botirjon Isayev cotton farm Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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Weaving cotton threads in an agro-industrial “cluster” in Namangan, where fibers harvested in the region are transformed into various textile products: towels, carpets, clothing, etc. Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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The ArtSoft Cluster Holding company oversees three “clusters”. It is the largest grouping in the province of Namangan. Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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Left: spools of cotton thread. Right: cotton fabrics are dyed black. Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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A worker ensures the proper functioning of a bath towel production machine. Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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Seamstresses and their machines on a production line Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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On the site, state-of-the-art installations follow one another. Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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Workers fold hundreds of bath towels of different sizes. Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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Workers pack fabrics into large bags. Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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Uzbekistan exported US$3.2 billion (C$4.3 billion) worth of textile products in 2022, representing 16.5% of its total exports. Valérian Mazataud Le Devoir
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