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Better Cotton Hosts Inaugural Member Awards

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Better Cotton Hosts Inaugural Member Awards

Joe Morphet on June 22, 2023

Photo credit: Better Cotton/Dennis Bouman. Location: Amsterdam, 2023. Description: Better Cotton Conference 2023 flag.

Better Cotton yesterday hosted its inaugural Member Awards at its conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The two-day Better Cotton Conference got underway on 21 June, convening supply chain actors from the cotton sector and beyond to discuss four key themes: Climate Action, Sustainable Livelihoods, Data & Traceability, and Regenerative Agriculture.

On the evening of the opening day, at a networking dinner held at Strand Zuid, Better Cotton Chief Executive Officer, Alan McClay, and Chief Operating Officer, Lena Staafgard, presented the awards. The Member Awards were established to celebrate the contribution of members to the growth and success of the Better Cotton framework and will be replicated annually at future conferences.

The first of four awards was the Global Sourcing Award, which was given to the Retail and Brand Member and Supplier & Manufacturer Member that sourced the highest volume of Better Cotton in 2022. The winners were H&M Group and Louis Dreyfus Company, having surpassed all other members in the volume of Better Cotton sourced.

The second honour was the Impact Storyteller Award which recognised an organisation with which Better Cotton has collaborated to spotlight compelling stories from the field. The winner was IPUD (İyi Pamuk Uygulamaları Derneği – the Good Cotton Practices Association), following the production of content from a field trip to Turkey – covering the topics of decent work and children’s education – which generated the most coverage on Better Cotton’s website last year.

The Outstanding Contribution Award followed, and was bestowed upon organisations who contributed “in an exceptional way” to Better Cotton’s revision of its Principles & Criteria, announced earlier this year. Representatives from the Alliance for Water Stewardship, High Conservation Value Network, Pesticides Action Network, and Solidaridad were all recognised at the ceremony for their support and input in refining the framework.

The fourth and final honour – the Transformer Award – was awarded to an organisation that’s been instrumental in shaping Better Cotton’s work since its conception. IDH – the Sustainable Trade Initiative – claimed the inaugural award due to its continued and priceless contribution since 2010.

I’m grateful for this opportunity to demonstrate Better Cotton’s gratitude to the businesses and organisations that have helped shape our initiative. Without them, our mission to help cotton communities survive and thrive while protecting and restoring the environment, wouldn’t be possible.

Alan McClay, CEO, Better Cotton
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Raising the Sustainability Standard

Joe Morphet on June 22, 2023

Photo Credit: Better Cotton/Morgan Ferrar Location: Şanlıurfa, Turkey. 2019 Description: Opening cotton boll in the field.

By Lena Staafgard, COO, Better Cotton

This article was first published by WWD on 21 June

The past decade has seen a growing demand from consumers to know that the food in their fridges and the clothes in their wardrobes are made without causing harm to people or nature. Emerging to meet that demand has been a wave of voluntary sustainability standards. While none are quite the same, most adhere to the same basic model: they establish a bar for what “good” looks like, invite companies and commodity producers to meet it, and issue successful candidates with a public mark of approval. 

This compliance-oriented approach gives most consumers the broad assurance that they are looking for — a fact that would ideally flow into higher sales and thus greater revenues for certified producers. Counterintuitively, however, the real impact of such voluntary schemes actually lies with those that fail to reach the bar. It’s here where the bulk of social and environmental damage is done, and, consequently, it’s here where the greatest potential for change exists. By holding out the promise of higher sales, certification offers a powerful kick to get that change process started. 

Such a kick start is intrinsic to the mission of the best voluntary sustainability standards. This process of improvement starts with clarifying good practices, communicating them to producers, and then giving them the tools and support to make them operational. Over the years, Better Cotton has been doing precisely this with cotton farmers around the world; first through its Principles and Criteria, and, second, through the practical training it offers millions of farmers through its network of local partners. 

The tangible differences we and other voluntary standards have made is substantive: a decline in negative impacts, an upsurge in positive benefits. Yet, even with the active support of industry partners, there is only so far we can go alone. Our model of change is sound, but our resources and reach are limited. Success to date has therefore focused on specific production chains, in specific markets; not wholesale change across the board. 

Lena Staafgard, COO, Better Cotton

So how do we broaden our scope and impact to transform business at large? The answers are multiple, but a critical piece of the puzzle is one that has been largely missing till now: government action. Governments have the legislative power, the development mandate, and the administrative reach that voluntary-standards bodies could only wish for. Mobilizing these in support of our model of change would unlock our scope for impact and accelerate business’ potential for improvement.  

The importance of governments playing a proactive role in scaling up the work of voluntary sustainability standards is not just my view. It’s also the opinion of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). In a timely new report on the future of cotton-related standards in South Asia, the influential development think-tank calls on governments to “update sectoral, environmental, and labor policies” in line with commonly agreed best practices. 

As a minimum, this would mean ensuring unsustainable practices are phased out or banned straight-out. Take prohibiting hazardous chemicals, a move adopted by India, for instance, in the case of 27 highly toxic pesticides. Government support for training in sustainability technologies and skills would also galvanize better practice. So too could a shift in public procurement. Governments spend billions of dollars every year on products and services. Pledging that certified producers get supplier preference would amplify the clear market signal already coming from consumers. Sales taxes or other pricing mechanisms that pushed up the cost of unsustainable products would have a similar signaling effect. 

As with any strategy for changing a large system, policy interventions need to form part of a bigger plan. At present, few governments have a forward-looking, positive vision of what sustainable commodity production looks like and how it could be realized. Voluntary-standards bodies, in contrast, very much do — and they are only too happy to share them. 

Lena Staafgard, COO, Better Cotton

IISD’s stated rationale for government to take the lead is as simple as it is incontrovertible: to advance sustainable production, and to make compliance “easier for farmers.” Both chime with our central goal at Better Cotton. This isn’t about standards bodies like ours stepping back. Instead, it’s about a sharing of responsibility. We know that deep and lasting change depends on what we would call the “enabling environment” — when policies and the regulatory framework rewards sustainable behavior consistently. 

Our game plan was never to go it alone. We came into being to clarify a baseline of public expectations and to prove these can be delivered in practice. That stage is now complete. Now it’s time for governments to step in and work with voluntary standards to ramp up what has been put in place. The model for change exists, the lessons have been learned, and the invitation to governments to join has been extended.

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Conference 2023: Day 1 Highlights & Key Takeaways

Joe Morphet on June 22, 2023

A dynamic opening day placed emphasis on climate action and sustainable livelihoods, bringing together industry experts from the cotton sector and beyond for discussions and interactive sessions.

We had the privilege of welcoming Nisha Onta, Regional Coordinator for Asia at WOCAN (Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management) to kickstart the conference. Following her address, a panel of farmers from India, Pakistan, and Australia took to the stage to discuss the primary risks posed by climate change, and the practical adaptation strategies they have implemented in their respective farming contexts.

As the afternoon progressed, the focus shifted towards sustainable livelihoods. Antonie Fountain, from cocoa sector body VOICE Network, set the tone in a lively keynote and interactive session by exploring various paths to achieve a living income.

We were honoured to have Julia Felipe, a Mozambique field facilitator, share her first-hand experiences on the economic realities faced by smallholder farmers.

Lastly, Jyoti Macwan, the General-Secretary of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), together with panellists discussed the concept of well-being as a component of livelihoods.

Five Key Takeaways from Day 1

Inspirational leaders, farmers, traders, manufacturers and more took the stage to share their stories and ideas. Here are five key takeaways:

  • The climate crisis is impacting farmers now
    Urgent action is required to mitigate further damage with a focus on the need for collaboration, data-backed solutions, and carbon finance projects to support farming communities in the face of extreme weather events. Farmers from leading cotton-growing countries, such as Pakistan and Australia, put into stark focus the real-world impacts of climate change on farms.
  • Living income is the right thing to do, the smart thing to do, and will soon be the only legal thing to do
    A living income enables cotton communities to deal with other challenges, such as climate action and gender equality, much more easily, and within the next 3-5 years it could become a compliance issue for companies. To reach living income a combination of good agricultural practices, good governance practices and good purchasing practices are needed. Providing a living income will go a long way to improving farmer well-being, but it will not achieve it alone – we must also focus on providing access to social security and building resilience, among others.
  • Measurement and traceability are key to maintaining momentum in cutting emissions
    To drive improvements, primary data on a local level is required to identify and address immediate concerns and focal issues. Impact measurement will be fundamental to recognising improvements and challenge areas. Primary data on a local level is also essential to evaluate where emissions are coming from – and this is where traceability will become crucial.
  • By organising female cotton farmers and workers we can improve well-being
    Bringing female farmers together to raise their concerns and find solutions to their challenges, whilst also focusing on providing them with secure income and social security are important steps towards boosting their well-being. However, it is equally important to foster self-reliance and ownership among women, so that they have the power to make decisions about their lives and their farms.
  • We are not doing enough
    The cotton sector needs to be bolder, work faster and stakeholders must act together. Collaboration is intrinsic to advancing sustainability progress, but compromise will be essential to drive change. Discussions placed focus on the complexity of industry collaboration and what realistic changes look like if they’re to be beneficial for the entire supply chain.

We express our gratitude to all the speakers and attendees for actively contributing to the success of this first day, and we look forward to what today will bring!

Today’s Agenda

The traceability and data theme will get underway courtesy of a keynote from Maxine Bédat, the founder and director of New Standard Institute. In this portion, conversations will range from the role of data in consumer-facing communications to the upcoming launch of Better Cotton’s own traceability system, and how it will impact stakeholders.

Regenerative agriculture is the fourth and final theme and will be introduced by keynote speaker and co-founder of sustainable farming foundation reNature, Felipe Villela. Whilst attendees will hear the unique experiences of cotton farmers from around the world on regenerative practices, an interactive session will also task delegates with exploring this topic and its potential from the behind the lens of various supply chain actors.

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Better Cotton Principles and Criteria: How the Revised P&C Informs Our Approach to Regenerative Agriculture

Joe Morphet on June 20, 2023

Photo credit: Better Cotton/Carlos Rudiney. Location: Pamplona Farm – Cristalina – Goiás – Brazil, 2018. Description: Cotton tillage over corn straw.

By Emma Dennis, Senior Manager of Global Impact, Better Cotton

Regenerative agriculture, a key theme at the upcoming 2023 Better Cotton Conference, is a term that has been gaining a lot of traction in recent years, as we look to restore the environment. Despite this growing attention, however, the concept is still in a state of evolution.

While regenerative agriculture is a relatively recent term, the practices that it describes are often centuries old, and many Better Cotton Farmers already incorporate aspects of regenerative agriculture in their farming. In order to ensure that we are recognising these activities, our updated Principles and Criteria (P&C) has an explicit focus on the key tenets of regenerative agriculture.

In this blog, I will explore these recent updates to our P&C, outlining Better Cotton’s approach to regenerative agriculture and sharing what we are planning in the coming months.

Photo credit: Better Cotton/Altitude Meetings. Location: Better Cotton Conference 2022. Malmö, Sweden, 2022. Description: Emma Dennis.

Better Cotton’s Approach to Regenerative Agriculture

At Better Cotton, we embrace the core idea of regenerative agriculture that farming can give back to, rather than take from, nature and society. Our approach to regenerative agriculture puts a strong emphasis on connections between people and nature, highlighting the two-way dependency between sustainable farming practices and sustainable livelihoods. The ability of regenerative approaches to both reduce emissions and sequester carbon is significant, and of key importance in our approach.

Our unique approach works off four main premises:

  • Regenerative agriculture is to be seen in the context of continuous improvement rather than as an end state
  • Regenerative agriculture can be a solution for farming systems of all types and sizes, including smallholders. It also goes beyond cotton and needs to be considered across whole farming systems
  • Regenerative agriculture needs to be context-specific and centre farming communities at the core of the approach
  • To move substantially towards regenerative agriculture, a systemic change and major investments are needed

Regenerative Agriculture in the Better Cotton Principles and Criteria

Our programme focuses on the outcomes of regenerative agricultural practices, such as improved soil health, increased biodiversity and water efficiency, and the improved social and economic well-being of those involved in farm-level activities (including improved working conditions and better inclusion of women and people in vulnerable situations and/or facing exclusion).

These outcomes are supported by Version 3.0 of the P&C, the revision of which ensures our P&C remain an effective tool to deliver sustainable positive impacts at field level. Version 3.0 includes regenerative practices which are relevant in all cotton-growing countries, such as maximising crop diversity, minimising soil disturbance and maximising soil cover.

In addition to farming practices, the social element inherent to regenerative agriculture is integrated throughout, with a dedicated principle on improving sustainable livelihoods, a cross-cutting priority to strengthen gender equality, and a focus on farmer-centricity across all activities.

Regenerative Agriculture at the Better Cotton Conference 2023

The Better Cotton Conference 2023 provides us with a great opportunity to further explore the topic of regenerative agriculture, bringing together organisations from across sectors to share their perspectives and experiences in the field.

Regenerative agriculture is one of the four key themes of the conference, alongside sustainable livelihoods, climate action, and data and traceability. With a whole afternoon dedicated to the theme, we will explain how we currently tackle regenerative agriculture, and delve into the work we are doing to further incorporate these elements.

Kicking off the theme with a keynote address from Felipe Villela, Founder of reNature, an organisation that utilises regenerative agriculture to fight today’s most pressing challenges, we will also explore the difficulties for farmers and the responsibility of the supply chain to help find solutions to these challenges through farmer panels and interactive sessions. To find out more about the conference, head to this link.

Next Steps

Going forward, in line with our 2030 Strategy and existing commitments, Better Cotton will proactively work towards increasing the adoption of regenerative practices, including seeking ways to support farmers to better report on their progress, channel effective investments and enable all our value chain actors to better communicate on the topic. We will share updates on this work in the coming months.

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Exploring Our New Approach to Sustainable Livelihoods: Q&A With Maria Kjaer, Smallholder Livelihoods Manager

Joe Morphet on June 16, 2023

Photo Credit: Better Cotton/Seun Adatsi. Location: Kolondieba, Mali. 2019. Description: Farmers in Togoya, sorting the cotton harvest.

As part of Better Cotton’s 2030 Strategy, our organisation has entered a phase of transformation, during which we are working to deepen our impact. One of the ways in which we will look to achieve this is a focus on enhancing well-being and economic development for cotton communities, as we strive to make cotton farming economically viable for all farmers, and in particular smallholders.

In order to achieve this goal, we are developing our approach to support sustainable livelihoods for farmers and workers in cotton. To find out all about Better Cotton’s approach, we spoke with Maria Kjaer, our Smallholder Livelihoods Manager.

Photo credit: Maria Kjaer

Could you give us an overview of why a Sustainable Livelihoods Approach is needed?

Globally, approximately 90% of cotton farmers are considered smallholder farmers – meaning that they grow the crop on less than 2 hectares of land. A significant proportion of these smallholder cotton farming households are found in Global South where poverty is a widespread challenge. This represents a substantial barrier to sustainable cotton production, with smallholders struggling more than any other group to establish Sustainable Livelihoods. We see a targeted organisational approach to tackle these challenges as an absolute necessity.

What does the Sustainable Livelihoods approach look to achieve?

In order to address these really complex challenges, our Sustainable Livelihoods Approach seeks to support smallholder farmers in moving towards increased wellbeing and a living income, a concept which The Living Income Community of Practice defines as the net annual income required for a household in a particular place to afford a decent standard of living for all members of that household.

Together with our in-country partners and global members of the cotton value chain, we want to help farmers to achieve this in a sustainable way, which is why it was important for us to establish a clear framework for the social impact that we wish to see throughout the cotton communities, highlighting the outcomes we are aiming to achieve through our work. We are excited to launch this new approach soon and roll it out with our partners during 2023.

What impact do you expect the new approach to have?

Going forward, we will continue to support the more sustainable growing of cotton, increasing profitability for farmers where possible. However, with our new Sustainable Livelihoods Approach, we want to approach our work in a more holistic manner.

We have identified four key Impact Areas to improve smallholder livelihoods that will guide the work that we carry out in collaboration with our partners. Our aspiration is that this new approach will enable us to:

  • Support skills development and learning
  • Enable increased access to resources
  • Promote livelihood diversification
  • Expand social networks and relations

With Better Cotton’s Sustainable Livelihoods Approach , we are also committing to leveraging our position to support farmers and workers to achieve a living income, improve standards of living and make a positive contribution to the eradication of poverty in smallholder cotton farming communities. This will not happen overnight and will require a concerted effort from actors in the supply chain, which we will look to drive forward.

How will this new approach impact Better Cotton’s work with partners?

It is essential that we enable our partners to deliver impact at field level, and in order to achieve this, we will be investing in these areas via our Growth and innovation Fund (GIF) and through additional fundraising. Sustainable Livelihoods is also one of our five 2030 Impact Target areas, alongside Soil Health, Pesticides, Climate Change Mitigation, and Women’s Empowerment.

By 2030, our target is to sustainably increase the net income and resilience of two million cotton farmers and workers. This will be achieved through the hard work of our partners, driven through several avenues such as our Principles and Criteria, our Capacity Strengthening programmes, and the Growth and Innovation Fund.

What’s next for Better Cotton and Sustainable Livelihoods?

We are currently finalising consultations, and we will be launching our approach publicly soon. Keep an eye out for the launch!

If you are interested in learning more or want to partner with us, please contact [email protected].

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Better Cotton Launches Sustainability Roadmap in Uzbekistan

Joe Morphet on June 9, 2023

Photo credit: Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Location: Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Photo shows (from left to right): Ilkhom Khaydarov – Chairperson, Uzbekistan textile and Garment Association, Bekhzod Musayev – Minister of Employment and Poverty Reduction, Her Excellency, Tanzila Narbayeva – Uzbekistan’s Senate Chairperson and Chairperson of the National Commission to Combating Human Trafficking and Forced Labour, Bakhtiyor Makhmadaliyev – Deputy Chairman, Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan, Rachel Beckett – Senior Programme Manager, Better Cotton

Better Cotton has developed and signed a Roadmap of Sustainability Developments with key stakeholders in Uzbekistan to drive further improvements in the country’s cotton sector.

Uzbekistan’s Senate Chairperson and Chairperson of the National Commission to Combating Human Trafficking and Forced Labour, Her Excellency Tanzila Narbayeva, and Uzbekistan’s Textile and Garment Industry Association Chairperson, Mr. Ilkhom Khaydarov, were amongst signatories to the collaborative agreement during Tashkent Textile Week, from 29 May to 2 June.

At the event, Better Cotton’s Senior Programme Manager, Rachel Beckett, presented the roadmap to an audience of more than 600 delegates, including representatives from business, government, civil society, international organisations and educational institutes.

To advance the aims of the roadmap, national stakeholders have committed to supporting its implementation, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Employment, and Textile and Garments Association, amongst others.

The roadmap will build on the Better Cotton Programme in Uzbekistan, launched in 2022. As the sixth largest cotton growing nation globally, operations in Uzbekistan are intrinsic to Better Cotton’s goals of mainstreaming more sustainable cotton production.

The roadmap effectively maps out a detailed action plan through which progress will be assessed in line with four overarching objectives.

The objectives are to:

  • build effective management systems for the Better Cotton Programme in Uzbekistan and raise the awareness amongst cotton stakeholders in the country on sustainability pillars;
  • promote the labour rights of workers in the cotton sector by putting in place effective labour systems that ensure decent work, safe and healthy working conditions, effective management of employer-worker relations as well as productive social dialogue;
  • build key stakeholders’ awareness of best practices relating to environmental sustainability in cotton production and how these can be assessed at a field level;
  • build a three-year strategy that defines the ways in which the Better Cotton programme can be managed, funded, and delivered at scale.

Better Cotton sees its work in Uzbekistan as an opportunity to create value and drive improvements for the environment, producers, and workers in the country’s cotton sector, and to bring us closer to our vision of a world where all cotton is more sustainable.

Rachel Beckett, Senior Programme Manager at Better Cotton

The roadmap’s approach will include recommendations by Better Cotton on how cotton growing communities across Uzbekistan can adopt more sustainable practices that are better for the environment, communities and the economy.

With the support of key Uzbekistan stakeholders, Better Cotton is well positioned to address any current and future concerns, and will strive to develop operations across the country to continually support cotton farmers.

We believe that our partnership with Better Cotton will support the creation of effective management systems in cotton fields, encourage the broader application of modern, energy-saving technologies and reduce the impact of production on the environment. This roadmap serves to strengthen social protection, improve labour relations based on international standards, and create decent and safe working conditions for workers.

Senate Chairperson and Chairperson of the National Commission to Combating Human Trafficking and Forced Labour, Her Excellency Tanzila Narbayeva
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Data & Impact Series: Q&A With Brooke Summers on Cotton Australia’s Data Dashboard Project

Joe Morphet on June 5, 2023

Recently, Cotton Australia, a partner of Better Cotton, launched a new data dashboard, allowing Australian cotton farmers to transparently report data in order to measure progress and drive farm-level change. The dashboard will also give retailers, brands and other members of the supply chain access to accurate, up-to-date information, allowing them to make decisions about Australian cotton as a fibre of choice.

For the third instalment of our Data & Impact series, we sat down with Brooke Summers, Supply Chain Consultant at Cotton Australia and the coordinator of the data dashboard project, to talk about how the programme came about, the key challenges, and what other cotton producers can learn about impact data from Cotton Australia’s initiative.

Photo credit: Brooke Summers

Could you tell us a bit about your background and your role at Cotton Australia?

I’ve been working with Cotton Australia for over 20 years, mainly in communications and marketing. For the last ten years, I’ve been leading the ‘Cotton to Market Strategy’, which is all about engaging with our customers throughout the supply chain. That includes brands, retailers, global not-for-profit organisations, textile associations and anyone who’s influencing the way our customers think about raw materials.

Could you tell us about your data dashboards project, how it came about, and what the aims were initially?

The idea for the project came about through conversations we were having with our brand and retail partners and customers around the need for data, and specifically transparent impact data. So, it came from customer need, but we also felt as an industry that we had been collecting a lot of information over a long period of time, yet there wasn’t really a single source of truth for that information.

Different organisations within the industry were reporting or collecting numbers in different ways, and we were all getting lots of enquiries from people wanting more information. Rather than duplicating work, we thought it would be a great idea to build a platform where we could agree on which metrics we wanted to report, which source of truth we were going to use, and who would be responsible for keeping that information up to date.

How did you make those decisions about what data to collect?

I put together a little working group with the key data holders in the industry, and we looked at all the metrics we were collecting on a regular basis as part of our sustainability targets and other reporting requirements. We did a big scan and condensed that into a data map with a number of pillars, following our ‘Planet. People. Paddock.’ sustainability framework and adding a few extra pillars, such as ‘Product’, ‘Projects’ and ‘Practices’.

The hardest part of the project was getting everybody to agree on what we wanted to report, and specifically how we were going to report it. For example, there are probably ten different ways you can calculate water use efficiency, so we needed to decide which was the best way for that particular audience. We wanted to be very transparent and open about what we were reporting, how we calculated it and how we’d come to those decisions.

Photo credit: Cotton Australia. Description: An example of Cotton Australia’s data dashboard, highlighting statistics on water use.

How difficult was it to get the project off the ground?

We’re lucky in some ways that we’ve got a relatively small industry here in Australia – there are around 1,500 farmers. Unlike a lot of other cotton-producing countries, it’s easy for us to get organised, and all the industry organisations are very collaborative. There was no trouble at all getting people to participate – everyone was happy to put their data on the table and have it shared in this way.

The farmers that we’ve spoken to so far have just been blown away by the project. We’ve got lots of farmers on our board and I think they can really see the value in having all this information in one place for the first time.

However, it did take time to get everything together in the right formats, because there were over 70 metrics that we were reporting on the dashboard, so we worked with the developers to make sure what we were reporting was coming to life in a way that made sense to the user.

What lessons have you learned from this project?

Traditionally, we’ve collected data because it has made good business sense, it has helped us make better decisions on the farm to drive efficiencies and innovation. Now there’s a new driver for data collection which is about market access and reporting impact. At the moment, our farmers are paying for this through a compulsory levy to our Cotton Research and Development Corporation, which is matched by the Australian Government.

So I think that it’s important for brands to think about the demands they’re making around impact data. I think sometimes they don’t understand how difficult, expensive and time-consuming it is to collect granular information from farmers. It’s crucial that brands engage directly with organisations like ours to understand what these demands really mean, and that they provide value to the farmers creating the sustainability impact.

To find out more about Cotton Australia’s data dashboard, head to this link.

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Better Cotton Tours Farms & Facilities on Australia Visit

Joe Morphet on June 2, 2023

Photo credit: Cotton Australia. Location: Boggabri, Australia, 2023. Description: Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay with Better Cotton’s Alvaro Moreira in the cotton field as part of Camp Cotton 2023.

Better Cotton’s Senior Manager for Large Farm Programmes and Partnerships, Álvaro Moreira, recently visited strategic partners in Australia to reinforce industry relations and delve into field-level activities.

Álvaro met with Better Cotton affiliates from Cotton Australia and the Cotton Research & Development Corporation (CRDC), amongst others, from 27 April to 5 May – in which time he had the opportunity to attend and participate at the Australian Cotton Forum, before visiting farms, research premises, a seed distribution plant and cotton growers.

The trip enabled Better Cotton to reconnect with key partners across the country and discuss how our ongoing activities can help shape more sustainable cotton production. Notably, emphasis was placed on Better Cotton’s 2030 Impact Targets, in addition to the revised Principles & Criteria and how they align with the recently launched Chain of Custody Standard.

Photo credit: Álvaro Moreira, Better Cotton. Location: Boggabri, Australia, 2023. Description: Cotton grower Andrew Watson demonstrates the latest practices he’s adopted on his farm in Boggabri.

At the Australian Cotton Forum, held in Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum on 2 May, more than 100 industry stakeholders convened to discuss a whole gamut of issues pertinent to domestic cotton farming, from water use and soil health to human rights and circularity.

There, the CRDC provided an overview of its Australian Cotton Roadmap – and the targets that underpin it – whilst researchers provided a timely update on their Cotton Farming Circularity Project, through which farmers are trialling the dispersal of cotton trash on fields to gauge its degradation rate and impact on soil health.

From 3 to 5 May, Álvaro and a delegation of around 50 people headed north from Sydney to Narrabri to visit facilities and growers at the heart of the town’s cotton production.

In addition to touring research facilities and neighbouring gins – courtesy of Cotton Australia – attendees visited two farms with land varying from 500 to 5,000 hectares. Álvaro returned with a renewed conviction of the strength of Better Cotton’s partnership with its peers in Australia.

I witnessed the great strides that Australian growers have made in terms of sustainability, in particular when it comes to integrated pest management and water use. Thanks to a coordinated effort from those involved in research and industry, farmers are enabled to continuously improve their farming practices.

Álvaro Moreira, Senior Manager for Large Farm Programmes and Partnerships at Better Cotton

Better Cotton and Cotton Australia have worked closely since 2014 to advance the sector’s sustainability credentials. The country’s voluntary myBMP standard – which recognises best practice at field-level – has been benchmarked as equivalent to the Better Cotton Standard System (BCSS).

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Better Cotton Impact Targets: Q&A With Narjis Ashfaq, Head of Programs at Sangtani Women Rural Development Organization

Joe Morphet on May 25, 2023

Photo Credit: Better Cotton/Khaula Jamil Location: Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan. 2019. Description: Farm-worker Ruksana Kausar prepares to plant a sapling with the seeds provided to her by Better Cotton and WWF.

Soil underpins everything – its rich biodiversity and vital function in crop production and carbon storage make it fundamental to life on earth. However, a third of the world’s soils have deteriorated at the hands of erosion and contamination. 

To help drive improvements, Better Cotton launched its 2030 Impact Target on Soil Health to ensure that 100% of Better Cotton Farmers improve the health of their soil in this defining decade for humanity.

It’s a bold but necessary ambition, and one that we won’t achieve without the support and insights of agricultural experts across all cotton growing regions. In this Q&A, we hear from Narjis Ashfaq, Head of Programs at the Sangtani Women Rural Development Organization (SWRDO), in Pakistan, about this important work.

Photo credit: Narjis Ashfaq

What role can healthy soil play in mitigating climate change? 

To make soil healthy, different practices are adopted in different areas. The most common practices include the use of farmyard manure and the incorporation of previous crop residues in the soil. In some areas, farmers use fermenters and compost to make their soil healthy. The soil contains organic matter that plays an important role in mitigating climate change by storing carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

On the other hand, if the soil is poorly managed by using practices which are not sustainable, soil carbon in the form of carbon dioxide is released which contributes to climate change.

How important are regenerative cotton production practices to improving soil health? 

Regenerative practices such as reduced tillage are performed in some areas to protect soil fertility and health. Tillage is used only in the time of need as destruction of the soil structure can decrease water infiltration in soil which reduces the benefit of rainfall to the crops.

Other regenerative practices such as use of farmyard manure can enhance the biological and microbial activity of the soil. Most farmers also grow cotton in rotation with wheat or other crops which has countless benefits – it can reduce soil erosion, improve water infiltration and quality of water and also increase organic matter.

What are the key differences in soil from one region to another and how important will tailored soil management support be to ensuring all cotton growing regions see improvements? 

Soil types are different from one region to another in terms of fertility, pH, electrical conductivity and other factors such as water holding capacity, organic matter and microbial activities. In the case of our work in Rajanpur, Pakistan, the western soils are mostly heavy textured (clay to clay loam) soils with different levels of salt and a high pH (>8), while eastern soil near Indus River are fine textured (sandy to sandy loam) and have good water infiltration and support plant growth.

Therefore, to improve the soil in western areas, for example, farmers often use: Gypsum, farmyard manure, deep tillage practices, more acidic fertilisers and good quality water.

The soil in eastern areas would need to incorporate organic matter via composting and green manuring. Similarly, with a balanced use of fertilisers (prioritising organic and optimising inorganic) we can improve soil health and improve crop production.

For cotton farmers, what will be the tangible benefits of improved soil health?

Improved soil health is important to the profitability and production of cotton farms. It ensures the fertility of the soil and better crop production.

  • Healthy soil has the following benefits:
  • It enhances proper root growth to ensure maximum nutrition for better yield.
  • It contributes to the mitigation of climate change effects.
  • It ensures all micro and macro nutrients are available for the growth of the cotton plant.
  • It ensures good water holding capacity.
  • Good soil physical, chemical and biological properties for better production of cotton.

To find out more about Better Cotton’s Impact Targets, follow this link.

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Better Cotton Conference To Spotlight Livelihoods and Traceability

Joe Morphet on May 24, 2023

Better Cotton will host its annual conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, next month, from 21 to 22 June. Taking place at the Felix Meritis, the event will bring together more than 300 industry stakeholders – both in-person and online – representing all stages of the supply chain. Registration is still open and available here.

The conference will be divided into four key themes – Climate Action, Smallholder Livelihoods, Traceability and Data, and Regenerative Agriculture – identified for their impact on the sustainability of the cotton sector.

Each section will be introduced by keynote speakers specially selected for their expert understanding of the topics in focus. Nisha Onta, Regional Coordinator for Asia at WOCAN, a women-led global network focused on gender and environment, will kickstart the Climate Action theme; Antonie Fountain, CEO of cocoa sector watchdog the Voice Network, will usher in discussion on Smallholder Livelihoods; Maxine Bédat, Founder and Director of ‘think-and-do tank’ the New Standard Institute (NSI) will discuss Traceability and Data; and Felipe Villela, Co-Founder of sustainable farming foundation reNature, will present on the topic of Regenerative Agriculture.

Better Cotton Farmers will feature throughout the course of the event, as we strive to raise awareness of the implications of each theme on cotton producing communities around the world. Farmers and field facilitators from India, Pakistan, Australia, Brazil and Mozambique will be in-attendance, offering attendees unique insights into their operations.

In the Climate Action theme, a practical workshop will be held to explore the potential of carbon finance in cotton production and agriculture more broadly. The session will explore the benefits and potential challenges of insetting and what the introduction of such mechanisms would mean for farmers.

Photo Credit: Better Cotton/Altitude Meetings. Better Cotton Conference 2022. Malmö, Sweden, 2022.

In the Livelihoods theme, Voice Network Chief Executive Antonie Fountain will sit alongside Ashlee Tuttleman, Senior Innovation Manager at IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative, in an interactive session designed to directly engage the audience on the topic of a living income and how we can work towards this in cotton and beyond. Notably, the pair will address a series of myths around agriculture and livelihoods, before exploring the challenges and opportunities for progress in this space.

With Better Cotton set to launch its own traceability system later this year, the conference’s focus on the topic presents the opportunity for a timely update. Better Cotton’s Senior Traceability Manager, Jacky Broomhead, will sit down with Erin Klett, Senior Director of Research & Policy at Verité, to discuss how brand, retail and supplier members can prime their operations for increased supply chain visibility. Solution providers including TextileGenesis will then join the panel to discuss Better Cotton’s ongoing pilot project in India.

The conference’s fourth and final theme, Regenerative Agriculture, will explore the topic – from its very definition to ambitions of mainstreaming such practices. In an interactive panel discussion, smallholders and large farm owners from around the world – including Almas Parveen from Pakistan and Todd Straley from the United States – will discuss ‘regenerative principles’ put forward by the audience to gauge their real-world applicability.

Across the two-day event, there’ll be a plethora of organisations from across the cotton sector and beyond attending to offer their insights.

Participants include:

  • The Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH)
  • Cotton Australia
  • Organic Cotton Accelerator
  • US Cotton Trust Protocol
  • Tony’s Chocolonely
  • Retraced
  • Marks & Spencer
  • John Lewis
  • J.Crew Group
  • WWF
  • Textile Exchange
  • Pesticide Action Network (UK)

Alongside an action-packed agenda, there’ll be ample opportunity to network. On the evening of 20 June, a welcome reception will be hosted at global sustainability initiative Fashion for Good’s Museum, where guests will gain access to a curated cotton exhibition.

A networking dinner will also be held on the evening of 21 June at the Strand Zuid. Registration is available via this link, and we look forward to convening the industry.

A huge thank you to our event sponsors: ChainPoint, Gildan, TextileGenesis, Retraced, Cotton Brazil, Louis Dreyfus Company, ECOM, Spectrum, JFS San, Supima, Olam Agri and Cotton Incorporated.

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