The move comes following a three-year investigation on cotton production in Uzbekistan conducted by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) that led to the recent BBC Newsnight exposé on forced child labour in Uzbekistan.

Alongside a ban on raw cotton from Uzbekistan, Tesco, the world's third largest retailer, has also announced its intention to implement a system to monitor its supply chain, thereby introducing far greater transparency and traceability in the clothing and textiles process.

In the printwear industry Continental Clothing has already ensured none of its cotton comes from Uzbekistan and now labels all its products with the country of origin, and Epona plans to do the same.

"We have spent three years campaigning to have Uzbek cotton removed from the market while it continues to be produced with forced child labour, to the detriment of the environment and only to the benefit of the ruling elite," said Steve Trent, Executive Director of EJF. "This ground-breaking move by Tesco - unprecedented from a major UK retailer - has the potential to change a multi-billion dollar industry. Transparency within the supply chain is essential in stopping abuses such as those seen in Uzbekistan". 

Pressure has been mounting on Uzbekistan, the world?s third largest cotton exporter, following EJF?s award winning report ‘White Gold: the true cost of cotton' and the subsequent BBC Newsnight investigation that exposed the continued use of state-sponsored child labour in Uzbek cotton fields. 

Trent added: "The Uzbek regime's abusive cotton industry operates within a framework of totalitarian control - a system that discounts fair elections; prohibits free media; and condones torture.

"Tesco has proven that the sourcing of cotton fibre and the tracking of supply chains are entirely possible and there is no excuse for all other retailers of cotton goods not to pledge a commitment to do the same."

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