Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in the Cotton Supply Chain - Rise for Impact - a New Phase, a New Vision - Pakistan Component

In Pakistan, millions of farmers and workers depend on cotton cultivation for their livelihoods. At present, cotton farmers are struggling to keep their farms viable. 1.7 million workers (30 to 40 per cent of the country’s workforce) are employed in cotton cultivation and processing. They are affected by falling yields, erratic rains due to climate change, water scarcity, disease resistance to pesticides, health hazards, rising cost of inputs, lack of access to affordable credit and volatile market prices. INDITEX entered into a partnership with the ILO in 2017 to promote an integrated approach to Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW) in the cotton supply chain. In this second phase, these actions will be replicated in new target districts in Pakistan (Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan provinces). The project seeks to address: a) decent work deficits in cotton cultivation in selected districts, and b) farm viability by introducing ecological cotton cultivation techniques protective of occupational health, access to professional financial and insurance services and to alternative marketing channels. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining will be the engine of the project, allowing male and female workers to negotiate compliance with the other four FPRW through social dialogue. Self-assessment of compliance with social and environmental norms will help to trace the evolution of the FPRW status and its impact on farm viability. This is in line with ILO’s promotion of a “Just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies”. Cotton-growing communities will be made aware of and empowered to assert the five FPRW, namely elimination of child labour and forced labour, non-discrimination, freedom of association and collective bargaining, and occupational safety and health. Their efforts will be supported by responsible institutions, including ILO constituents and civil society organizations. Knowledge sharing on boosting farm productivity through responsible and sustainable farming will be promoted.

Project symbol

PAK/22/51/INX

Admin unit

CO-Islamabad

Start date

02/03/2023

End date

02/03/2026

Total allocation

733029

Total expenditure

Status

Active

544871

Development Partners

INDITEX, Industria del diseno textil S.A.

Country/Countries

Pakistan

Outcomes

Outcome 1: Strong, modernized normative action for social justice