Better Cotton has developed a Member Monitoring Protocol which outlines the objective, scope, and process for Member Monitoring. The main objective of this protocol is to protect the credibility of the organisation by ensuring adherence to the Code of Practice that all Members sign when they join. The Member Monitoring Protocol aims to provide transparency to our Members and other stakeholders about what Better Cotton does and does not do as part of its monitoring.
Better Cotton’s mission is to achieve a positive impact at the field level, and we welcome any organisation in the cotton sector that supports that mission to join us as a Member. However, membership is not evidence of social or environmental compliance and it will always be the responsibility of each Member to monitor its supply chain to meet any regulatory requirements.
Monitoring Criteria
The Monitoring Protocol establishes six monitoring criteria that align with the Member Code of Practice.
- Commitment and Conduct
- Business Integrity
- Decent Work and Human Rights
- Communication
- Sourcing
- Environmental Compliance
Resolution Stages
When an incident is identified by Better Cotton it will be assessed and if further action is deemed necessary a Monitoring Case will be opened, which will follow these steps:
- Warning
- Suspension
- Expulsion
For more details about each step please refer to the Monitoring Protocol at the bottom of this page.
Reporting
Better Cotton will report quarterly on the number of open Monitoring Cases, by Criteria and Stage, as well as the number of Monitoring Cases closed in the previous quarter.
Better Cotton will not publish the name of any individual Member that is subject to a Monitoring Case, whether it is open or closed.
Monitoring update – Q3 2024
Open Monitoring Cases
The table shows the number of currently open cases by Monitoring criteria and escalation level.
| Monitoring Criteria | Warning | Suspension |
|---|---|---|
| Commitment and Conduct | – | – |
| Business Integrity | 14 | – |
| Decent Work and Human Rights | – | – |
| Environmental Compliance | – | – |
Closed Cases – 2024 YTD
The table below shows the number of Monitoring cases that have been closed in 2024. If a case is resolved the member has corrected its breach and maintains membership.
| Monitoring Criteria | Resolved | Expelled |
|---|---|---|
| Commitment and Conduct | – | – |
| Business Integrity | 2 | – |
| Decent Work and Human Rights | – | 2 |
| Environmental Compliance | – | – |
New Member Approval Screening – 2024
The table below shows the number of applications that have been screened against the Membership Criteria and approved for membership by quarter.
| Period | Applications Approved |
|---|---|
| Q1 | 94 |
| Q2 | 104 |
| Q3 | 84 |
This data was updated on 24 October, next update will be in January 2025.
