Empowering Better Cotton’s Chain of Custody: How Control Union Enables Trust and Growth

By Lonneke de Kort, Business Unit Manager, Textiles, Recycling & Alternative Materials at Control Union

Control Union was Premium Sponsor at the Better Cotton Conference 2025 in İzmir, Türkiye

In today’s textile sector, responsible sourcing is no longer a niche concept – it’s a growing expectation. As global brands, manufacturers, and suppliers commit to sustainability goals, the ability to trace raw materials back to verified sources has become essential. For Better Cotton, this means not only promoting sustainable practices at farm level, but also ensuring that cotton can be credibly traced throughout the supply chain.

Control Union plays a significant role in the Better Cotton system as an independent third-party certification body. We share Better Cotton’s vision for a more sustainable global cotton sector – one where integrity, transparency, and measurable impact are at the core.

With decades of experience in sustainability assurance, we operate in key production regions including Türkiye, India, Pakistan, Brazil, and parts of Africa, offering consistent, high-quality auditing services through local experts in local languages. This global presence enables brands and supply chain actors to benefit from working with one certification body across multiple geographies—combining consistent global standards with regional insight and responsiveness.

As one of the world’s leading certification bodies, we play a critical role in strengthening the Better Cotton Chain of Custody (CoC) system and ensuring that its core principles are upheld across diverse and dynamic supply chains.

The Better Cotton CoC framework is designed to track the journey of Better Cotton through each stage of the supply chain – from farm to finished product. It allows businesses to demonstrate that their sourcing decisions contribute to more responsible cotton production practices. As an independent assurance provider, our task is to verify that this system functions reliably and that participating sites meet the requirements defined by the Better Cotton CoC Standard.

Moreover, Control Union offers certification services across other widely recognized textile standards, such as Better Cotton, Regenagri, GOTS, GRS, RCS, and OCS, creating a one-stop-shop for brands and suppliers committed to sustainability. This integrated service offering not only streamlines certification processes but also reinforces traceability and accountability across different material streams.

Driving Continuous Improvement Through Independent Assurance

Our work goes beyond confirming adherence to documented requirements – it helps build confidence in the entire system. Third-party audits offer objective validation of sustainability claims, playing an essential role as the Better Cotton CoC system evolves, particularly with the introduction of Physical Chain of Custody models. As traceability becomes increasingly important, independent assurance supports the credibility and reliability that supply chain actors and end consumers seek.

We have observed that over time, the level of awareness and engagement within the sector is growing. More and more organisations are beginning to view responsible sourcing not just as a compliance necessity, but as a long-term strategic approach. This shift reflects a deepening understanding of Better Cotton’s goals and the value of participating in a transparent, verifiable system.

Control Union’s Role in the Sector

With a robust global infrastructure and a strong local presence, Control Union is well-positioned at the intersection of agricultural production and textile manufacturing. In Türkiye – a major player in both cotton cultivation and textile exports – our teams carry out Chain of Custody audits across a wide range of operators, ensuring alignment with the Better Cotton CoC Standard while respecting regional dynamics.

Our impartiality is a cornerstone of our work. As a third-party certification body, we do not provide consulting or guidance for compliance. Instead, we focus solely on verifying whether facilities meet the required standards through objective and consistent evaluation. This separation between verification and consultancy is vital to maintaining the integrity and credibility of the assurance process.

Its Importance During the Farm Inspection Stage

The role of Control Union is particularly critical during the farm inspection stage of the Better Cotton system. Through on-site inspections and field audits, Control Union verifies that the cotton farms comply with Better Cotton’s production principles, environmental standards, and social criteria.

This ensures that the raw cotton entering the supply chain genuinely originates from farms practicing sustainable and responsible agriculture.

These farm-level controls safeguard the integrity of the entire program by preventing non-compliant or fraudulent practices from entering the certified supply chain. As such, they form the foundation for the credibility and transparency of the Better Cotton label all the way to the end consumer. This guarantees that products labeled as “Better Cotton” are genuinely produced from cotton within the certified system.

Looking Ahead

As Better Cotton continues to expand its global reach and strengthen its Chain of Custody (CoC) system, Control Union remains unwavering in its commitment to delivering credible, rigorous, and independent verification services that embody the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.

We take great pride in contributing to a system that upholds traceability, accountability, and a culture of continuous improvement across the cotton supply chain.

In alignment with Better Cotton’s requirements, certain retailer and brand members – depending on their sourcing volumes – are obliged to verify their annual Better Cotton procurement through an independent third-party audit.

At Control Union, we see our role as going beyond mere compliance checks; we act as guardians of trust, helping to secure the credibility of sustainable sourcing commitments and reinforcing the transparency that consumers and stakeholders increasingly demand.