Better Cotton is the world’s leading sustainability initiative for cotton. Our mission is to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment.
In just over 10 years we have become the world’s largest cotton sustainability programme. Our mission: to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment.
Better Cotton is grown in 22 countries around the world and accounts for 22% of global cotton production. In the 2022-23 cotton season, 2.13 million licensed Better Cotton Farmers grew 5.47 million tonnes of Better Cotton.
Today Better Cotton has more than 2,700 members, reflecting the breadth and diversity of the industry. Members of a global community that understands the mutual benefits of sustainable cotton farming. The moment you join, you become part of this too.
The founding premise of Better Cotton is that a healthy sustainable future for cotton and the people that farm it is in the interests of everyone connected with it.
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Committed BCI Retailer and Brand Members have significantly contributed to the dramatic growth of Better Cotton over the past eight years, helping to drive BCI towards its 2020 target of having Better Cotton account for 30% of global cotton production. They are supporting market transformation by integrating Better Cotton into their raw materials strategies and driving demand for more sustainable cotton production worldwide.
While all BCI Retailer and Brand Members are contributing to the sustainable future of cotton, we would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the leaders.
In 2017, 71 BCI Retailer and Brand Members sourced a record-breaking 736,000 metric tonnes of Better Cotton. The following members are the top 15 (in descending order) based on their total Better Cotton sourcing volumes in the 2017 calendar year1. Together they sourced a significant proportion of the total volume of Better Cotton.
1. Hennes & Mauritz AB
2. Ikea Supply AG
3. adidas AG
4. Gap Inc.
5. Nike, Inc.
6. Levi Strauss & Co.
7. C&A AG
8. Decathlon SA
9. VF Corporation
10. Bestseller
11. PVH Corp.
12. Marks and Spencer PLC
13. Tesco Clothing
14. PUMA SE
15. Varner Retail AS
In addition to considering total volume, the percentage of a company’s overall portfolio of more sustainable cotton is also important. For some retailers and brands, Better Cotton accounts for a substantial percentage of their total cotton sourcing. adidas AG – who have been steadily working to meet a 100% Better Cotton sourcing target by 2018 – sourced more than 90% of their cotton as Better Cotton in 2017. DECATHLON SA, Hemtex AB, Ikea Supply AG and Stadium AB sourced more than 75% of their cotton as Better Cotton1.
We would also like to highlight the “fastest movers’ of 2017 – adidas AG, ASOS, DECATHLON SA, Gap Inc., Gina Tricot AB, G-Star RAW C.V., HEMA B.V., Hennes & Mauritz AB, IdKIds Sas, Just Brands B.V., KappAhl Sverige AB, KID Interi√∏r AS, MQ Holding AB and Varner Retail AS. These retailers and brands increased their volumes of cotton sourced as Better Cotton by the highest number of percentage points compared to the previous year (2016).
BCI’s demand-driven funding model means that retailer and brand sourcing of Better Cotton directly translates to increased investment in training for cotton farmers on more sustainable practices. In the 2017-18 cotton season, BCI Retailer and Brand Members contributed more than ‚Ǩ6.4 million enabling more than 1 million farmers across China, India, Mozambique, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Senegal to receive support and training*. Visit Stories from the Field on the BCI website to learn first-hand from farmers about the benefits they are experiencing from implementing the Better Cotton Standard System.
Please visit the Better Cotton Leaderboard on the BCI website for more information. Here you will find a list of all the retailers and brands that contributed to the collective demand for 736,000 metric tonnes of Better Cotton in 2017, along with the leading cotton traders and mills in terms of volumes of Better Cotton sourced.
Transforming cotton production worldwide requires commitment and collaboration. We are proud to be working together with all BCI Members and Partners to create a more sustainable sector.
*While the investment from BCI Retailer and Brand Members (mobilised through the Better Cotton Growth and Innovation Fund) reached over one million farmers in the 2017-2018 season, the Better Cotton Initiativeis forecast to reach and train a total of 1.7 million cotton farmers in the season. The final figures will be released in BCI’s 2018 Annual Report.
[1]By “sourcing cotton as Better Cotton,’ BCI is referring to the action taken by members when they place orders for cotton-containing products. It does not refer to the cotton present in the finished product. BCI uses a chain of custody model called Mass Balance whereby volumes of Better Cotton are tracked on an online sourcing platform. Better Cotton may be mixed with or replaced by conventional cotton in its journey from field to product, however, the volumes of Better Cotton claimed by members on the online platform never exceeds the volumes physically procured by spinners and traders.
This year Monki (a brand of BCI Member Hennes & Mauritz Group) achieved its goal to sustainably source 100% of its cotton. The retailer’s longer-term goalis to source only recycled or other more sustainable materials by 2030.We caught up with Irene Haglund, Sustainability Manager, to talk about their achievement and what is next for the brand.
Monki has achieved its goal to sustainably source 100% of its cotton. Tell us about your journey and your sustainable cotton portfolio.
From using organic cotton, to partnering with organisations like the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), to adhering to our ’no-go’ material list, we are making conscious decisions to help minimise any environmental impact our materials have on the world. With milestones such as our 100% organic denim range launched in summer 2016 to our current goal of100%sustainably sourced cotton, we continuously strive to make the world a kinder place and believe that sustainability is a large part of this.
How have you worked withBCIto communicate Monki’s commitments to Better Cotton in a way that maintains Monki’s tone of voice and resonates with your customers?
BCI has been an essential partner in helping us to communicate our achievement of 100% sustainably sourced cotton. The fun, friendly, brave and empowering ways of our communication together withBCI’s specialist role in sustainability and their deep knowledge of the subject have together resulted in accessible and informative communication that speaks to our customer and community.
What response have your sustainable cotton communications received?
We saw positive engagement and support from our own community in the Monki social media channels as well as keen interest in the topic from international media outlets.It is a great feeling being able to present concrete steps and achievements towards a kinder future for all and the response we receive shows us that we are on the right path.We know thatour customers want something more than just products, and we work actively to have an honest dialogue, to listen and to improve. We love feedback, positive or negative, because this means that our community is committed, engaged and wants to be a part of Monki.
Now that you’ve achieved your 100% goal with regards to sustainable cotton sourcing, what is next for Monki?
Our aim is to source recycled or other more sustainable materials only, by 2030. In the long run it’s a step towards contributing to a more sustainable way of doing fashion. Through various initiatives, such as only using 100% organic cotton on all denim collections, sustainably sourced cotton in all products, and offering garment and textile recycling in all stores and offices, Monki is working towardsbecoming climate positive throughout our entire value chain by 2040.We are continuously re-analysing and adjusting ways to make a difference and to achieve a circular production model. Design,materials, production, garment care and the lifecycle of garments are just a part of this. Other projects include LED lighting in all new stores, reducing non-commercial goods, and paper bags replacing plastic bags.
Visit Monki Cares to find out more about Monki’s sustainability initiatives.
When BCI staff member Morgan Ferrar from the global communications team visited Pakistan, she saw how families’ lives are improving since cotton farmers have joined the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) programme, and how it can be the start of a very different future for communities.
What was the reason for your visit to Pakistan?
Supporting farmers is at the heart of our work and is the reason for BCI’s existence. In Pakistan, there are more than 90,000 licensed BCI Farmers. I visited two Punjabi districts, Muzaffargarh and Rahim Yar Khan, to meet some of these farmers and hear about their experiences and perspectives directly. I wanted to understand the unique challenges that these farmers face and learn about how they are adopting more sustainable agricultural practices to overcome these challenges.
There was a particular family that I was curious to meet. BCI Farmer Jam Muhammad Saleem, from rural village Jhangar Marha in Muzaffargarh, Punjab, was struggling to make ends meet. He saw no choice but for his 12-year-old son to leave school to work alongside him and his wife to tend their farm. But when Saleem started participating in BCI training sessions in 2017, organised by our field-level partner WWF-Pakistan, his outlook completely changed. This is a powerful example of how BCI works to eliminate child labour. I spent time with Saleem and his family and I asked them if they would like to share their story with the world. Stay tuned!
What are the challenges in cotton production in Pakistan that you learnt about?
One of the main challenges that Pakistani cotton farmers have experienced recently is extreme weather conditions caused by climate change. Specifically, low rainfall and rain falling at irregular times of the year. Low rainfall can lead to drought conditions and insufficient water for healthy growth. Dehydrated cotton plants, pushed beyond their capacity to cope with dry conditions, can shed their cotton bolls before the harvest, depleting farmers’ yields. Meanwhile, a lack of water can also bring new insect problems, as crop-destroying insects move from less hardy host plants to attack cotton instead.
In some instances, these challenges can foment farmers’ reluctance to allowing their children to attend school, fearing that without their child’s help on the farm, their crops will surely fail. To overcome resistance to children’s education, we seek to address and secure children’s rights to education, health, development and well-being through a series of structured training sessions that take place each season. Farmers learn how farm work impacts on children’s health and wellbeing, why children should be kept away from pesticides and hazardous tasks, and about the value of education as well as national labour laws.
Tell me about some of the farmers that you met and the experiences that they shared with you?
First, I met Muhammad Mustafa, who was so full of energy and was eager to tell me about the improvements in his life. Through the BCI programme, he had learnt new techniques to farm cotton in a more sustainable way by reducing his pesticide usage. This has saved Mustafa money that he would otherwise be using on expensive chemical pesticides, and because of this, he and his family have been able to move into a more spacious house. However, what Mustafa was most proud of was that because of his reduced spending on inputs, he can even now afford for his eldest daughter to attend college.
I then met Mustafa’s childhood friend, Shahid Mehmood, who is also a cotton farmer. Mehmood shared similar perspectives to Mustafa’s; his profit had increased by reducing the amount he spent on inputs, and because of this he could afford to send his children to school. Another BCI Farmer I met, Afzal Faisal, had enough additional income to create a new revenue stream on the side of cotton production; supplying solar panels to other farmers in the community.
The farmers I met in Pakistan are undeniably proud to be cotton farmers – that they can continue to do what they love, while increasing their yields and profits, using the additional income to create new revenue streams and send their children to school enriched their lives more than I could’ve possibly imagined. It was on this day that I truly gained first-hand perspective about the impact BCI is having at field-level in Pakistan.
What are the next steps?
We are incredibly proud of BCI Farmers like Saleem, Mustafa and Mehmood, who are committed to producing cotton in a more environmentally and socially sustainable way. In every country where Better Cotton is grown, there are many more successful BCI Farmers who have experiences and perspectives to share. At BCI, we are committed to amplifying these stories to a global audience to keep the momentum going and expand the BCI movement. This helps more farmers gain access to knowledge and training, building their capacity to implement sustainable agricultural practices. You can learn more about the experiences of BCI Farmers here.
Image: Morgan Ferrar with BCI Farmer Nasreem Bibi. Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan. 2018.
When BCI staff member Morgan Ferrar from the global communications team visited Pakistan, she saw how families’ lives are improving since cotton farmers have joined the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) programme, and how it can be the start of a very different future for communities.
What was the reason for your visit to Pakistan?
Supporting farmers is at the heart of our work and is the reason for BCI’s existence. In Pakistan, there are more than 90,000 licensed BCI Farmers. I visited two Punjabi districts, Muzaffargarh and Rahim Yar Khan, to meet some of these farmers and hear about their experiences and perspectives directly. I wanted to understand the unique challenges that these farmers face and learn about how they are adopting more sustainable agricultural practices to overcome these challenges.
There was a particular family that I was curious to meet. BCI Farmer Jam Muhammad Saleem, from rural village Jhangar Marha in Muzaffargarh, Punjab, was struggling to make ends meet. He saw no choice but for his 12-year-old son to leave school to work alongside him and his wife to tend their farm. But when Saleem started participating in BCI training sessions in 2017, organised by our field-level partner WWF-Pakistan, his outlook completely changed. This is a powerful example of how BCI works to eliminate child labour. I spent time with Saleem and his family and I asked them if they would like to share their story with the world. Stay tuned!
What are the challenges in cotton production in Pakistan that you learnt about?
One of the main challenges that Pakistani cotton farmers have experienced recently is extreme weather conditions caused by climate change. Specifically, low rainfall and rain falling at irregular times of the year. Low rainfall can lead to drought conditions and insufficient water for healthy growth. Dehydrated cotton plants, pushed beyond their capacity to cope with dry conditions, can shed their cotton bolls before the harvest, depleting farmers’ yields. Meanwhile, a lack of water can also bring new insect problems, as crop-destroying insects move from less hardy host plants to attack cotton instead.
In some instances, these challenges can foment farmers’ reluctance to allowing their children to attend school, fearing that without their child’s help on the farm, their crops will surely fail. To overcome resistance to children’s education, we seek to address and secure children’s rights to education, health, development and well-being through a series of structured training sessions that take place each season. Farmers learn how farm work impacts on children’s health and wellbeing, why children should be kept away from pesticides and hazardous tasks, and about the value of education as well as national labour laws.
Tell me about some of the farmers that you met and the experiences that they shared with you?
First, I met Muhammad Mustafa, who was so full of energy and was eager to tell me about the improvements in his life. Through the BCI programme, he had learnt new techniques to farm cotton in a more sustainable way by reducing his pesticide usage. This has saved Mustafa money that he would otherwise be using on expensive chemical pesticides, and because of this, he and his family have been able to move into a more spacious house. However, what Mustafa was most proud of was that because of his reduced spending on inputs, he can even now afford for his eldest daughter to attend college.
I then met Mustafa’s childhood friend, Shahid Mehmood, who is also a cotton farmer. Mehmood shared similar perspectives to Mustafa’s; his profit had increased by reducing the amount he spent on inputs, and because of this he could afford to send his children to school. Another BCI Farmer I met, Afzal Faisal, had enough additional income to create a new revenue stream on the side of cotton production; supplying solar panels to other farmers in the community.
The farmers I met in Pakistan are undeniably proud to be cotton farmers – that they can continue to do what they love, while increasing their yields and profits, using the additional income to create new revenue streams and send their children to school enriched their lives more than I could’ve possibly imagined. It was on this day that I truly gained first-hand perspective about the impact BCI is having at field-level in Pakistan.
What are the next steps?
We are incredibly proud of BCI Farmers like Saleem, Mustafa and Mehmood, who are committed to producing cotton in a more environmentally and socially sustainable way. In every country where Better Cotton is grown, there are many more successful BCI Farmers who have experiences and perspectives to share. At BCI, we are committed to amplifying these stories to a global audience to keep the momentum going and expand the BCI movement. This helps more farmers gain access to knowledge and training, building their capacity to implement sustainable agricultural practices. You can learn more about the experiences of BCI Farmers here.
Morgan Ferrar with BCI Farmer Nasreem Bibi. Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan. 2018.
BCI also welcomed Gram Unnati Foundation (India) as the newest BCI Civil Society Member.
At the end of Q3 2018, more than 190 new organisations (across all BCI membership categories) had joined BCI, taking total membership to more than 1,390 members. You can find all BCI Members here.
What it means to be a BCI Retailer and Brand Member
BCI Retailer and Brand Members are committed to supporting a more sustainable future for cotton production. They pay a fee to BCI based on the amount of cotton they sourceas Better Cotton*.This fee is invested into training 1.6 million BCI Farmers on more sustainable agricultural practices like reducing inputs (water, pesticides) and addressing gender inequality and child labour issues.
What it means to be a BCI Civil Society Member
Civil Society Members are progressive not-for-profit organisations who are taking decisive steps towards securing a more sustainable future for cotton production by partnering with the Better Cotton Initiative.
*BCI uses a supply chain model called Mass Balance. As cotton moves through the supply chain and is converted into different products (for example, yarn, fabric and garments), credits are also passed along the supply chain. These creditsrepresentvolumes of Better Cotton a BCI Retailer or Brand Member has ordered. We define this as “sourcing’ Better Cotton. Sourcing volumes are tracked by BCI’s online sourcing platform. Physically traceable Better Cotton does not end up in the hands of the retailer that placed the order; however, the farmer benefits from the demand for Better Cotton in equivalent volumes to that “sourced’. Remember, knowing where the Better Cotton ends up does not benefit BCI Farmers. A brand cannot claim that a product they sell physically contains Better Cotton.
The Better Cotton Growth and Innovation Fund (Better Cotton GIF),managed in partnership with the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), makes strategic investments into Better Cotton projects to support the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) in reaching its 2020 targets.
In the 2017-18 cotton season, the Better Cotton GIF invested €9.4 million in more sustainable cotton farming practices in China, India, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Tajikistan and Turkey Рreaching and training over one million cotton farmers*.
The Better Cotton GIF Annual Report provides insight into the Funds activities to reach this milestone, with stories from BCI’s Implementing Partners and BCI Farmers in the seven cotton-producing countries.
What is the Better Cotton Growth and Innovation Fund?
The Better Cotton Growth and Innovation Fund (Better Cotton GIF) was launched in 2016, by the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH).The Better Cotton GIF is governed by the BCI Council, in partnership with BCI Retailer and Brand Members, Civil Society Members and government bodies. IDH is the official fund manager, as well as an important funder.In the 2017-18 cotton season, the Better Cotton GIF directly invested €6.4 million in field-level programmes and mobilised an additional €3 million in co-funding from partners, resulting in a total portfolio value of €9.4 million.
*While the Better Cotton Growth and Innovation Fund reached over one million farmers in the 2017-2018 season, the Better Cotton Initiativeis forecast to reach and train a total of 1.7 million cotton farmers in the season. The final figures will be released in BCI’s 2018 Annual Report.
BCI is taking a new approach to our 2019 annual conference. Transformative change can only happen though collaboration, so we are inviting other cotton sustainability standards and initiatives to participate in shaping the agenda to make the event an enriching experience for all attendees. We have changed the name of the conference to Global Cotton Sustainability Conferenceto reflect this inclusive approach. We are excited to be working with the following organisations in developing the conference agenda: Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Algodão (ABRAPA), Cotton Australia, Cotton Made in Africa (CMiA), Fairtrade, Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) and Textile Exchange.
Crispin Argento,Executive Director, OCA believes that, ”Lasting impact and transformational change in sustainable cotton is achieved through collaboration, sector alignment and knowledge sharing. OCA is excited to work with BCI and other standards to improve the livelihoods of 100 million farming households globally and double-down on our collective impact on the environment“.
In addition to this collaboration, we are also launching aCall for Speakers where the cotton sector is invited to submit recommendations for conference speakers and topics. Our goal is to curate exceptional content, generate debate and ensure that the event is an opportunity to enhance attendees’ knowledge and expertise. You can contribute your ideas through this brief online survey. Please share your thoughts with us by 15 December 2018. Topics can range from presenting evidence-based approaches, to sharing unique viewpoints that have not been included in previous conferences.
We look forward to seeing you in Shanghai next June!
BCI hosts annual field trips to India, Pakistan, Turkey and the USA – creating an open and transparent space where members can meet directly with licensed BCI Farmers and Implementing Partners. BCI Farmers and Implementing Partners have a platform to highlight the successes and challenges of more sustainable cotton production, and members are able to see first-hand the sustainable practices that are being implemented on the ground.
This year, BCI has hosted trips in Pakistan and the USA, with a forthcoming trip in India planned for late November.
USA |13 – 14 September 2018
A total of 50 attendees from across the cotton supply chain were able to experience cotton agriculture in West Texas, USA. Attendees visited two cotton farms and the Quarterway Cotton Gin, dissected cotton plants, and toured the Texas Tech University Fiber and Biopolymer Research Institute. Representatives from American Eagle Outfitters, Ann Inc., IKEA, J. Crew, Ralph Lauren, C&A Mexico, Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, and Texas Alliance for Water Conservation were among those who attended.
”The tour was very educational and informative. I especially enjoyed the research institute tour, as well as hearing directly from the farmers.” – Anonymous.
Pakistan |10 October 2018
Representatives from Bedding House, Hennes & Mauritz AB, the International Labour Organization, Lindex AB, Louis Dreyfus Company and Decathlon SA were amongst those who attended the BCI Field Trip to Matiari, Pakistan, to see how farmers are overcoming cotton production challenges in the region. BCI’s Implementing Partner CABI-CWA organised a farmer meeting so that BCI Farmers could share their success stories and examples of best practice with the group. After a visit to the cotton fields, attendees visited a nearby gin.
”We are thankful to BCI for organising such a great workshop and field trip. The trip provided us with lots of information and really showed BCI’s dedication and the achievements they have made over the last few the years. We hope such events will continue.”– Lindex.
It’s not too late to join us for a BCI Field Trip!
Our final trip of the year is taking place in Maharashtra, India, on 27 – 29 November. Find out more and register here.
Climate change poses a real and growing threat for the world’s cotton farmers, many of whom cultivate their crops in countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate risks. Irregular rainfall, in particular, creates a steep challenge, with farmers under pressure to use less water to grow a traditionally water-intensive crop.
All workers have the right to decent work – work that offers fair pay, security and equal opportunities for learning and progression, in an environment where people feel safe, respected, and able to express their concerns or negotiate better conditions.
Do you want to know what the largest cotton sustainability programme in the world is up to? Keep up to date with the latest developments and hear from BCI Farmers, Partners and Members in the new BCI Quarterly Newsletter. BCI Members also receive a Monthly Member Update.
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We’ve updated our Data Privacy Policy
These updates are intended to reflect changes to the Better Cotton Platform’s default sharing settings and data use in our Audit management system.
You don’t need to do anything to accept these changes – they’re effective from today, 2 April 2025.
You can read the full text by visiting our Data Privacy Policy page.
