Some of the world’s most renowned clothing manufacturers, including H&M and Adidas, have been accused of using cotton from farms in India that employ child labour, according to NGO Transparentem.
A New York-based organisation conducted an investigation in 2022 and 2023 among 90 cotton producers in Madhya Pradesh, which revealed "widespread child labour and illegal adolescent labour."
The report highlighted "serious abuses" that appear endemic to the region, and also noted signs of forced labour such as debt bondage, abusive working conditions, and exploitation of vulnerable individuals.
Many workers are reportedly forced to labour to repay loans with perpetually increasing interest rates, according to Transparentem’s investigation.
India, the world’s most populous country, has laws prohibiting child labour for those under 14 in nearly all sectors, and bans hazardous work for adolescents aged 14 to 18.
However, poverty and lax enforcement mean that NGOs estimate 10 million children aged 5 to 14 still have to work, predominantly in agriculture.
Transparentem said the producers it investigated supply cotton to three Indian companies, which then sell their products to major brands like Adidas, H&M, Amazon, and The Gap.
Approached by the NGO, the three Indian companies and around sixty other groups they supply all claimed participation in ethical cotton initiatives.
Transparentem noted that most have started collaborating to implement solutions, which the NGO welcomed.
