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Paper Chains
Welcome to Paper Chains, a podcast that takes a deep dive into key reports, uncovering exploitation, labor abuses, and global supply chain tracking. This series is a project of Five24, dedicated to shining a light on the facts behind the headlines.
Paper Chains
Episode 7 - Farmers Have No Freedom: Hidden Controls Behind Uzbekistan’s Cotton and Wheat
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In this episode of Paper Chains, we unpack the Human Rights Watch report “Farmers Have No Freedom”, which exposes how cotton and wheat farmers in Uzbekistan face coercive quotas, state control, land insecurity, and conditions that echo forced labor. While global headlines have suggested reform in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry, this report reveals a more complicated and troubling reality beneath the surface. We break down what the findings mean, why agricultural labor abuses still matter, and how systems of control can persist even after international pressure fades. Paper Chains is a project of Five24, a nonprofit committed to justice, education, and ethical consumerism. This episode is sponsored by Ethical Trade Co, supporting ethical supply chains and survivor-centered impact. Learn more at www.ethicaltradeco.com
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Thank you for listening.
This is a project of Five24.