The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has extended the ban for suspended licensing and assurance activities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), China, which was imposed first in March 2020. The ban was imposed due to the allegations of forced labor and other human rights abuses in the XUAR. Thus, BCI decided to cease all field-level activities in the region immediately, including capacity building and data monitoring and reporting.
For the past eight years, the BCI has trained Chinese farmers on practices that cover our seven core principles on sustainable cotton production. These include minimizing the harmful impact of pesticides and crop protection practices, promoting water stewardship, caring for soil health, using land responsibly, preserving cotton fiber quality, and promoting decent work.
The BCI has further said that until the circumstances change in XUAR, BCI will focus all efforts in China’s eastern provinces where BCI has existing programs, including Hubei, Hebei, Shandong, and Gansu province.
