Beneath the veneer of sustainability and ethical sourcing, the cotton industry harbors a dark secret: it is a brutal cash crop grown on the backs of exploited labor. In the cotton fields of Uzbekistan, government-sanctioned forced labor is rampant, with citizens coerced into picking cotton under threat of punishment. The conditions in these fields are deplorable, with workers subjected to long hours, harsh weather, and meager pay. This forced labor system is not an isolated incident; it is a systemic issue that permeates the global cotton industry. Behind the labels of "sustainable" and "ethical," the cotton industry often conceals a web of exploitation, environmental degradation, and labor abuses, making it a far cry from the ethical image it portrays.
