Better Cotton Traceability: Looking Back on a Year of Progress

By Jacky Broomhead, Director of Traceability at Better Cotton 

In November 2023, we launched Better Cotton Traceability, with the goal of transforming supply chain transparency. It is now possible to trace Physical (also known as Traceable) Better Cotton through the supply chain back to the country of origin.

Our programme has provided greater visibility of cotton supply chains, increasing transparency of the journey of Physical Better Cotton. We have also created a choice of models for suppliers, manufacturers, retailers and brands to provide information for credibility and compliance, ensuring that they can continue to operate in increasingly regulated markets. 

On the first anniversary of the launch of Better Cotton Traceability, we want to take this opportunity to look back at some of the key milestones that we have achieved in our first year.  

Over 1,000 organisations and businesses consulted  

Better Cotton Traceability was developed over three years with the support of more than 1,000 organisations and businesses – including fashion retailers and brands, and their suppliers. None of this would have been possible without them, so we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners for their support. 

Physical Better Cotton now available in 13 different countries  

Thanks to the hard work of our colleagues, members and partners, Physical Better Cotton can now be sourced from 13 countries across the world: Pakistan, India, Türkiye, China, Mali, Mozambique, Tajikistan, Greece, Spain, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and the US. 

Over 400 ginners and 700 suppliers and manufacturers aligned with the Chain of Custody Standard 

If a supplier or manufacturer wishes to buy or sell Physical Better Cotton, they must meet the requirements of our new Chain of Custody (Coc) Standard, which sets the requirements for handling Physical Better Cotton and ensures the integrity of the programme. To learn more, click here. 

Over the past year, we have trained hundreds of organisations on the CoC Standard, and there are now over 400 ginners and 700 suppliers and manufacturers aligned and able to trade Physical Better Cotton.  

Over 90,000kg of Physical Better Cotton sourced by Better Cotton Retailer and Brand Members 

We’re already seeing Physical Better Cotton pulling through into end products, with over 90,000kg sourced by our Retailer and Brand Members so far. This is enough cotton to make around 300,000 T-shirts! 

Among those retailers and brands that have activated Traceability are Action, Bestseller, Big W, JD Sports, Marks and Spencer, Retail Apparel Group, Solo Invest and Tally Weijl.  

Let’s hear from them about their experiences with Better Cotton Traceability so far.  

If you’re a Better Cotton Retailer and Brand Member and you’d like to start sourcing Physical Better Cotton, you can benefit from a discounted activation fee until the end of 2024. To find out more, head to myBetterCotton.  

If you are a  Better Cotton Supplier and Manufacturer Member and you want to start sourcing, you will need to onboard to the Chain of Custody Standard. To begin the onboarding process, log in to the BCP and click on ‘Complete the Chain of Custody Standard Registration Form’. More information about the onboarding process can be found here. 

For more information on Better Cotton Traceability, head to our dedicated page here. 

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