Story

Jost Franko's Cotton Project on Open Society Foundation Instagram Feed

January 09, 2017 | Open Society Foundation
By
Jošt Franko
@Jostfranko follows the path of cotton from growers and harvesters in Burkina Faso to production in Bangladesh and Romania, and finally Western Europe in the form of retail garments. Image by Jost Franko. 2016.

@Jostfranko follows the path of cotton from growers and harvesters in Burkina Faso to production in Bangladesh and Romania, and finally Western Europe in the form of retail garments. Image by Jost Franko. 2016.

Young garment worker carries jeans to a storage room nearby in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The small informal factories mostly work for local production, but take subcontracted work for larger export oriented factories. Since rent is too expensive for most workers, they sleep in the factories. Image by Jost Franko. Bangladesh, 2016.

Young garment worker carries jeans to a storage room nearby in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The small informal factories mostly work for local production, but take subcontracted work for larger export oriented factories. Since rent is too expensive for most workers, they sleep in the factories. Image by Jost Franko. Bangladesh, 2016.

A garment worker in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The small informal factories mostly work for local production, but take subcontracted work for larger, export oriented factories. Image by Jost Franko. Bangladesh, 2016.

A garment worker in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The small informal factories mostly work for local production, but take subcontracted work for larger, export oriented factories. Image by Jost Franko. Bangladesh, 2016.

A spinning mill in Narsingdi. The spinning mill is a part of Momin Textile Mills, a company that owns 18 factories, working from cotton spinning, to cloth making and colouring the textile. All 18 factories are based in Narsingdi. Image by Jost Franko. Bangladesh, 2016.

A spinning mill in Narsingdi. The spinning mill is a part of Momin Textile Mills, a company that owns 18 factories, working from cotton spinning, to cloth making and colouring the textile. All 18 factories are based in Narsingdi. Image by Jost Franko. Bangladesh, 2016.

Farmers manually load cotton into containers in the village of Boro. Image by Jost Franko. Burkina Faso, 2016.

Farmers manually load cotton into containers in the village of Boro. Image by Jost Franko. Burkina Faso, 2016.

A cotton field in Boromo, just before it is hand picked by the local farmers. Image by Jost Franko. Burkina Faso, 2016.

A cotton field in Boromo, just before it is hand picked by the local farmers. Image by Jost Franko. Burkina Faso, 2016.

Workers vacuum cotton from containers in Sofitex factory in Hounde, Burkina Faso. Sofitex is one of three companies in Burkina Faso that buys cotton from farmers and provides loans to cultivators. Image by Jost Franko. Burkina Faso, 2016.

Workers vacuum cotton from containers in Sofitex factory in Hounde, Burkina Faso. Sofitex is one of three companies in Burkina Faso that buys cotton from farmers and provides loans to cultivators. Image by Jost Franko. Burkina Faso, 2016.

Local farmers rest at the collection center for the harvested cotton in a village near Dano. Image by Jost Franko. Burkina Faso, 2016.

Local farmers rest at the collection center for the harvested cotton in a village near Dano. Image by Jost Franko. Burkina Faso, 2016.

The Gira family brings cotton into the warehouse in their home in Boromo. Image by Jost Franko. Burkina Faso, 2016.

The Gira family brings cotton into the warehouse in their home in Boromo. Image by Jost Franko. Burkina Faso, 2016.

Jošt Franko is a Slovenian-born documentary photographer. His project, "Cotton: The Story Behind the Garment Industry" details the lives of cotton farmers in Burkina Faso and textile factory workers in Bangladesh and Romania.