Photo Credit: Better Cotton/Eugénie Bacher. Harran, Turkey, 2022. Better Cotton bales, Mehmet Kızılkaya Tekstil.

As part of our 2030 Strategy, we launched Better Cotton Traceability at the end of 2023. 

Better Cotton Traceability makes it possible to trace Better Cotton back to its country of origin using the Better Cotton Platform (BCP). With the market demanding more and more information about Better Cotton, helping farmers continue to access these markets and generate sustainable livelihoods from their cotton is a priority for us. At the same time, traceability will also enable us to better direct investment to the field level to support farmers in driving sustainability improvements and increasing their yields. 

Traceability at Better Cotton means: 

  • Knowing which country Traceable (also known as Physical) Better Cotton comes from
  • Showing the journey of Traceable Better Cotton
  • In the future, directing impact investment to these cotton farming communities

This is made possible by:

A new Chain of Custody Standard, which introduces three Physical Chain of Custody Models

An enhanced digital platform for data collection, known as the Better Cotton Platform (BCP)

Robust supply chain monitoring and assurance processes to check and enforce the CoC Standard

A new Claims Framework, coming in 2025

Are you interested in Traceability? Read more about how to get involved!

  • If you are a Better Cotton Retailer and Brand Member, head to the myBetterCotton portal to find out more about how you can start sourcing Traceable Better Cotton. There are also optional training sessions where you can find more information about how to prepare for traceability available from our Events & Webinars page.

  • If you are a Better Cotton Supplier, you will first need to be certified against the Chain of Custody Standard v1.0. The earliest opportunity to begin the certification process is 3 February 2025. To receive a notification on this date with further instructions, share your contact details here.

  • If you are new to Better Cotton, welcome! Depending on your organisation category, you may need to become a Better Cotton Member or just apply for a Better Cotton Platform account – find out more on our Membership page. If Membership is not the right option for you, you can register for Better Cotton Platform access here.