Investigation Uncovers Inaccuracies in Bloomberg Article
On Dec. 15, 2011, Bloomberg News published an article entitled, “Victoria’s Secret Revealed in Child Picking Burkina Faso Cotton” that alleged Victoria’s Secret purchased cotton from farms that utilize children workers forced into labor.
Since the story was published, a third-party investigation commissioned by Limited Brands was conducted and has uncovered substantial factual inaccuracies, most notably:
The “young girl” who was the centerpiece of the article, Clarisse Kambire, is 21 years old – not 13 years old,as reported by Bloomberg News.
Clarisse does not live nor work on a registered organic cotton farm in Burkina Faso. Rather, she works on a vegetable farm.
Victorien Kamboule, who was reported to be an organic cotton farmer, does not raise cotton, according to records of the UNPCB which registers all cotton farms in Burkina Faso, as well as ECOCERT, a French certification organization that actively inspects and monitors organic agricultural production, including organic cotton from Burkina Faso. Victorien grows vegetables.
Since the story was published, a third-party investigation commissioned by Limited Brands was conducted and has uncovered substantial factual inaccuracies, most notably:
The “young girl” who was the centerpiece of the article, Clarisse Kambire, is 21 years old – not 13 years old,as reported by Bloomberg News.
Clarisse does not live nor work on a registered organic cotton farm in Burkina Faso. Rather, she works on a vegetable farm.
Victorien Kamboule, who was reported to be an organic cotton farmer, does not raise cotton, according to records of the UNPCB which registers all cotton farms in Burkina Faso, as well as ECOCERT, a French certification organization that actively inspects and monitors organic agricultural production, including organic cotton from Burkina Faso. Victorien grows vegetables.
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Source: Limitedbrands (Friday, January 06, 2012)
Monday, January 09, 2012
Submitted by Andrea Bischof
