ILPC 2027

 This presentation develops understanding of the role of international NGOs working to stop modern slavery in Uzbekistan’s cotton industry. Bringing together Crane’s (2013) slavery as a management practice frame with Sen’s (1999) capabilities approach to explore how slavery is organised in the cotton industry, the article draws attention to ethical issues in the production of cotton through analysis of monitoring and reporting data that is particularly difficult to gather. The Uzbek authorities currently control every aspect of cotton harvesting, exporting and worker mobilisation. Applying this framework to the data enables a fresh interpretation of the factors that lead to modern slavery in the Uzbek cotton industry. The analysis considers the key capabilities of the Uzbek authorities and finds that the industry context, poverty, and the regulatory and cultural environments in Uzbekistan create a fertile context for modern slavery to exist. This has implications for consumers, businesses, demonstrates how a notable ethical issue is tackled by a group of strategizing actors, and shines light on key factors enabling forced labour in a developing country context.