Better Cotton Launches Revision of the Better Cotton Standard

This is an old news post – to read the latest about Better Cotton traceability, please click here. 

This post was updated on 22 October 2021.

There is a growing demand for more traceable Better Cotton, as stakeholders worldwide seek more clarity over the social and environmental challenges associated with the cotton supply chain, and policymakers require businesses to demonstrate greater transparency. Better Cotton is committed to working with all our key stakeholders to deliver physical traceability for Better Cotton. And with significant convening power and a network spanning actors across the supply chain, we believe we are well placed to help drive this transformation. In this way, we aim to catalyse progress across the sector.

Why is traceability important?

Understanding the route Better Cotton takes from field to market enables a clearer view of risks and where to prioritise efforts for continuous improvement. It will build on our existing efforts to build farmers’ capacity to adopt more sustainable practices and promote decent work and will facilitate the inclusion of producers in increasingly regulated international value chains, helping to improve lives and safeguard livelihoods in cotton farming communities. The sourcing landscape is changing, and we want to make sure these changes are good for those who produce and source Better Cotton.

What have we achieved so far?

We are currently exploring the best possible options to achieve physically traceable Better Cotton in close consultation with our membership to ensure we set course on a pathway that meets stakeholder needs and expectations. We have created a panel of experts from among our Retailer and Brand Members to help us build momentum and determine the best way to engage with all our stakeholders across the Better Cotton value chain. We have also run workshops and surveys with our Supplier and Manufacturer Members, with input from over 1,500 organisations to date. The message from our membership is clear – traceability is becoming business critical, and Better Cotton has a key role to play in delivering it for the industry

What are our next steps?

Starting in 2022, we will start testing various traceability solutions and partner with new and existing stakeholders to forge a collective pathway to systemic change. To ensure a viable, fit-for-purpose solution, we need to make sure it works for Better Cotton Farmers and for every actor in the cotton supply chain. We will also revise our requirements for those handling Better Cotton in the supply chain and introduce innovative integrity checks that go beyond traditional auditing practices. This will provide all stakeholders the confidence to source Better Cotton and assure them of the positive impact their sourcing practices have on the ground.

Traceability is a huge investment for Better Cotton and everyone involved across the supply chain. Funding is needed to develop robust, workable systems and to help all the relevant actors invest in change. This is particularly important for smaller actors, like smallholder farmers and small-scale ginners, who may not have access to the finance and resources to make the changes that are needed. While traceability comes with a cost, it also represents an opportunity to create new market mechanisms that bring value for Better Cotton Farmers, such as rewarding them for carbon sequestration.

Once we have procured a digital solution in 2023, we will begin onboarding suppliers from different geographies into our network. We’ll gradually build engagement with our global Better Cotton community to make it possible for all suppliers to engage in the system, making any necessary adjustments along the way as we further refine our approach. We anticipate some regions will need greater support, and we will focus on capacity building and training with these suppliers to ensure our system is inclusive. Once the solution is established, we will keep monitoring and evaluating its effectiveness, to ensure service quality and continuous improvement.

How can I get involved?

This is your opportunity to help forge a solution for fully traceable Better Cotton and shape a better future for cotton farming communities. Contact us at [email protected] for more information on how you can get involved.

In the first half of 2021, Better Cotton welcomed more than 180 new members across its membership categories. Better Cotton works with members across the cotton supply chain and beyond to ensure there is continuous demand for and supply of Better Cotton– cotton produced by licensed Better Cotton Farmers in line with the Better Cotton Principles and Criteria.

New members in the first half of 2021 included 22 retailers and brands from 13 countries, 165 suppliers and manufacturers and one civil society organisation. Find a full list of members who joined Better Cotton in the first half of 2021 here.

Better Cotton Retailer and Brand Members that joined in the first half of 2021 include Albert Heijn, Distribuidora Liverpool S.A. de C.V., DXL Group, Gerber Childrenswear LLC, Hush, Jacobson Group, Jockey International, Inc., Just Jeans Pty Ltd, Kingfisher plc, Les Deux, Message, Myntra Jabong India Pvt Ltd, ONESIKKS, Rip Curl, Ripley Corp. S.A., RNA Resources Group Ltd, Tally Weijl Trading AG, The Ragged Priest, Tokmanni, Wibra Supermarkt BV.

Wibra sells affordable products for daily use, including clothing, textiles and cleaning products. We want to ensure that those products are produced under safe and fair circumstances, and also increase the use of more sustainable materials in those products. Cotton is the most used material in our clothing and textiles collections. Yet the environmental impacts of cotton production are large, so we decided to start here. In our search to reduce the environmental impact related to cotton, we have found in Better Cotton a scalable program to source more sustainable cotton and contribute to more sustainable cotton production. The fact that quite a number of our supplier partners already work with Better Cotton is a big help in realising our ambitions.

Through Better Cotton we are making a difference in farming communities around the world where we source our cotton. This holistic approach teaches farmers how to improve their yields and protect the environment where they work and live. Safety and trust are the core values of Gerber Childrenswear and we take pride in supporting the Better Cotton principles. We are committed to sourcing 50% of our cotton as Better Cotton by 2026.

Albert Heijn is the biggest primarily food retailer in the Netherlands. We take sustainability seriously for all of our products. Among others, the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is an important tool for Albert Heijn with regard to reducing the potentially negative social and environmental impacts of cotton production.

Better Cotton ’s demand-driven funding model means that its Retailer and Brand Member sourcing of cotton as ‘Better Cotton’ directly translates into increased investment in training for cotton farmers on more sustainable practices. Learn more about Better Cotton’s mass balance chain of custody model.

The total uptake of Better Cotton by Better Cotton Retailer and Brand Members in 2020 surpassed 1.7 million metric tonnes – a record for Better Cotton. At the time of writing, collective Better Cotton uptake by Retailer and Brand Members has already surpassed 946,000 metric tonnes this year, on track to exceed the 2020 uptake of 1.7 million metric tonnes if sourcing continues at the current rate.

In addition to new retailers, new Supplier and Manufacturer Members joined from 27 countries, including Bulgaria, El Salvador, Mexico, Singapore and Tunisia. Suppliers and manufacturers support the transformation of the cotton sector by joining Better Cotton and sourcing increased volumes of Better Cotton for Better Cotton Retailer and Brand Members – forming a critical link between Better Cotton supply and demand.

At the end of the first half of 2021, Better Cotton ’s membership has grown to include more than 2,200 members. The full list of all Better Cotton Members is online here.

If your organisation is interested in becoming a Better Cotton Member and supporting more sustainable cotton farming practices around the globe, please visit the membership page on the Better Cotton website, or get in touch with the Better Cotton Membership Team.