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By Trend

The UNECE conducted a number of activities to improve Uzbek garment industry within its blockchain pilot project launched in July, 2021 at number of Uzbek enterprises such as Indorama Agro, Indorama Kokand textile and Nil Granit, project lead of the UNECE-led "Traceability for Sustainable Garment and Footwear" initiative Maria Teresa Pisani told Trend.

"The UNECE blockchain pilot to trace forward a cotton value chain from seed to final products, which are T-shirts, following the "real" life cycle of cotton production", she said.

According to the project lead, in the context of its global "Enhancing Traceability and Transparency for Sustainable Value Chains in Garment and Footwear" initiative launched in 2019, UNECE has been exploring the role that blockchain technology and DNA markers can play for end-to-end traceability from field to shelf.

Such efforts build on the business and data model developed by the initiative, which enables the identification of key data, documents and certificates that need to be exchanged by value chain actors to claim the sustainability performance of products, processes and facilities in this sector.

"Uzbek enterprises have engaged in this pilot to track and disclose sustainability claims in the blockchain platform. For instance, the claim about cotton’s origin is being evidenced with the upload of traceability documents (e.g. transaction documents, such as contract, shipping note, invoice, transportation document) at key nodes of the value chains. Additional claims related to social and environmental performance of the product are also considered in this pilot and are to be verified with support of sustainability-related documents (e.g. certificates, audit/inspection reports, laboratory test results report) to be uploaded in the system", Pisani said.

According to her, the next step for this pilot is the use of DNA physical markers, which are now in the process of being applied on cotton yarn and tested at each stage in the supply chain to verify cotton’s provenance, authenticity and quality. DNA markers enable to bridge the gap between digital data and the physical product. Such solution not only proves the origin and authenticity of the product, but also detects the blending of the components by anchoring the data to the product to prevent and detect false product claims.

The project lead noted that the project is planned to be finished in 2022.

"So far UNECE has been conducting pilot activities with national partners, including several training and coaching sessions for the roll out of the use case. The pilot is expected to deliver results before Summer 2022 and will be showcased in a detailed Proof-of-Concept report this year", Pisani said.

The textile, garment and knitwear industry of Uzbekistan is one of the leading and dynamically developing industries. It plays an essential role in solving state problems and meets the vital interests of many regions. It contributes to the harmonious development of the regions, ensuring employment of the population and improving its well-being, assists in the formation and development of small and private businesses.

Over the past 27 years, the industry has become one of the leaders in attracting foreign investment and in the export of high value-added products. Today, the industry is represented by a wide export range - from yarn to finished garments and knitwear.

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