The agency, established this year by the Uzbek government to drive improvements in the country’s textile sector, will manage a new fund to reimburse the cost of farm and supply chain-level certification against BCI standards, in order to incentivise compliance. 

Katerina Gorbunova, head of the Better Cotton Initiative’s Uzbekistan programme, said: “Our continued engagement with the Government of Uzbekistan and its entities is testament to their collaborative spirit and commitment to transforming the country’s cotton sector. The cost of certification can be a barrier to entry not only for cotton clusters in Uzbekistan but farms around the world, so the launch of this fund will be pivotal to accelerating sustainability efforts.” 

The agreement updates the roadmap BCI signed last year with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Textile and Garment Industry Association (Uztekstilprom). It represents a transition from planning to operationalising sustainability systems via programme financing, institutional roles, and policy incentives within national structures. 

Nozim Kholmuradov, Director at the Light Industry Agency, said: “Our strategic focus is to boost cotton-producing enterprises’ income and grow the number of Uzbekistan companies positioned to compete confidently on the global textile stage. A close partnership with the Better Cotton Initiative will be essential to reaching this ambition.” 

The collaboration was announced at BCI’s annual multistakeholder meeting in the Uzbekistan capital, Tashkent. The event convened cotton producers, government representatives, civil society, knowledge partners, donors, brands, and retailers to discuss challenges and opportunities in both field and market, from strengthening social due diligence to championing regenerative practices. 

Among the participants were government ministers, BCI staff, and representatives from the National Commission on Combating Human Trafficking and Decent Work, the International Labour Organization, the Cotton Campaign, Food & Agriculture Organization, and Uztekstilprom.