London, May 5th 2010

EJF’s Cotton Campaign received a huge accolade during the Ethical Corporation "Responsible Business" Awards in London last night when it was Highly Commended in the ‘Campaigner of the Year’ category as assessed by an outstanding panel of internationally recognised judges.

Up against some stiff competition from Oxfam, EIA, Global Witness and MSC the judges gave a special mention to the effectiveness of EJF's Pick Your Cotton Carefully campaign in having had a major impact on business, environmental and social gains.

The Ethical Corporation Awards is the inaugural celebration of excellent responsible business practices. The Ethical Corporation has a long history of searching independent commentary, a reputation for hard-hitting insight, and an unrivalled position as an expert within the field of corporate responsibility.

All entries were judged on the basis that - in the opinion of the judging panel - the organisation has been agenda-leading in corporate responsibility in the period March 2009 - March 2010.

 

Effective Campaigner

The Campaigner of the Year category was for NGO’s that had demonstrated, by a campaign or series of campaigns, that their actions have had a major impact on business and environmental/social gains. Greenpeace was the overall winner and EJF was Highly Commended, coming 2nd.

 

Environmental Justice Foundation – Pick Your Cotton Carefully

The Environmental Justice Foundation’s ‘Pick Your Cotton Carefully’ campaign is an example of how a small, dedicated and passionate team with a clear rationale and effective approach can have an impact on a US$30 billion dollar industry.

Campaign Goal:

to eradicate the use of forced child labour and the deadliest pesticides from cotton production and promote sustainable alternatives (organic/fair trade).

When the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) first reported on the extreme human rights and environmental abuses in the cotton industry very few people were aware of the scope and scale of the problems (forced child labour, pesticides).

EJF’s public campaign to press retailers to only sell ‘clean cotton’ has had a rapid and major impact on businesses resulting in significant gains for social and environmental justice including the creation of a National Action Plan and signing of two ILO conventions by the Uzbek Government on child labour and significant progress towards a global ban on toxic pesticide endosulfan.

EJF has acted as a catalyst resulting in a coalition of retailers, traders, unions and NGOs to address the social and environmental abuses in cotton production, specifically in Uzbekistan.

Through our award-winning reports and films, EJF’s campaign has changed the CSR policies of over 40 of the world’s largest retailers including ASDA / Wal-Mart and Tesco, who have taken the unprecedented action of eliminating cotton from the world’s third largest exporter, Uzbekistan, from their supply chains until a time when the abuses of State-orchestrated child labour are resolved. Others have supported the Call to Action for a global ban on endosulfan.

With support from EJF, many retailers have undertaken rigorous supply chain audits and developed effective ‘track and trace’ systems so they can identify the country of origin for their cotton - something they previously had no idea about.

As well as effective high level advocacy, EJF runs an innovative organic cotton t-shirt project using the most universal and iconic piece of cotton clothing as a message board to promote positive alternatives to conventional production.

 

The t-shirts

  • Are an international collaboration with 11 global fashion designers representing “childhood, lost innocence and hope”

  • Promoted by over 50 ambassadors including leading and respectable fashion personalities like Lily Cole, Ashley Jensen and Sophie Ellis Bextor to help shape popular opinion that ‘ethical fashion’ isn’t just for hippies

  • Communicate the complicated issue of ‘cotton supply chains’ in a simple way at fashion weeks in London, Paris, Milan, New York and Berlin where EJF is invited to exhibit within the main fashion shows

  • Are made to the highest environmental and social standards acting as a case-study for sustainable clothing and generate 15% of EJF’s income through their sales

  • Are sold in 60 stores in 17 countries, Pop-up shops and the biggest consumer events (Clothes Show Live) to raise awareness galvanize action for ethical cotton

  • Get the issues featured in hundreds of influential media (Guardian / Big Issue / Vogue / Marie Claire) globally that encouraging everyone to ‘Pick Your Cotton Carefully’.