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Better Cotton Pioneer H&M visit Better Cotton farms in Gujurat, India

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Better Cotton Pioneer H&M visit Better Cotton farms in Gujurat, India

Well Studio on November 14, 2014

Representatives from BCI Pioneer Member, H&M, paid a visit to Better Cotton farms in Gujurat, India, earlier this month. Head of Sustainability, Helena Helmersson, Harsha Vardhan (Environment Responsible – Global Production) and Gagan Kapur (Materials Manager), saw first-hand cotton farmers taking part in BCI Learning Groups, witnessing the difference that Better Cotton is making to the lives of those who live in the region. As part of the visit, H&M also took the opportunity to visit BCI Spinning Mill Member, Omaxe Cotspin, an opportunity to see how Better Cotton travels through the supply chain, making its way from field to store.

”BCI has been a key part of our sustainability strategy since being a part of founding the initiative in 2005. Now, we are committed to sourcing more and more Better Cotton to produce our products, but also importantly to show others in our role as Pioneer members that more sustainable cotton production is possible. These farmers here in India are part of a global movement to make this a reality for brands and retailers all over the world.”
Helena Helmersson, Head of Sustainability, H&M

In 2013, BCI produced 905,000 metric tonnes of Better Cotton, 18% of which was produced by smallholder farmers in India. With the support of Pioneer members such as H&M, last year BCI were able to reach 146,000 Farmers in India alone – farmers who are now producing cotton that is better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in, and better for the sector’s future.

H&M are an industry leader in more sustainable high-street fashion, aiming to source all cotton from more sustainable sources (Better Cotton, Organicand Recycled) by 2020. To read more about H&M’s sustainability commitments click here.

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Increased traceability for Brazilian cotton

Well Studio on November 7, 2014

BCI Partner the Brazilian Cotton Growers Association (ABRAPA) have announced that they willimplement a National Cotton Quality Database: as part of the existing Standard Cotton HVI Program developed by ABRAPA, this database will make Brazil only the second country in the world, along with the United States, to provide such levels of transparency and quality assurancein cotton production. The database will provide real-time analytics on the production and quality of cotton bales produced in Brazil each year,dramatically increasing the traceability and quality assurance of Brazil’s cotton supply chain.

“The creation of a national cotton quality database is an important step toward achieving our goal of 100% transparency of HVI quality results for cotton produced in Brazil.” said ABRAPA President Gilson Pinesso. “The ability to provide buyers with accurate and timely cotton quality data will directly increase market confidence in the fibre that our members produce, while the greater transparency and traceability will benefit every member of the value chain – from the farm to the retailer.”

The National Cotton Database is one of the three main components of the Standard Cotton HVI Program, along with the construction of a central reference laboratory and the implementation of the International Laboratory Certification program run by ICA Bremen, an international centre of excellence for cotton testing, research and quality training.

ABRAPA has been BCI’s Partner in Brazil since 2010. They became a Strategic Partner in 2014 after completing a benchmarking exercise which aligned ABRAPA’s own ABR (Responsible Brazilian Cotton) programme, with the Better Cotton Standard. This means that cotton produced under the ABR standard can be sold as Better Cotton, increasing global supply. To read more about BCI’s work in Brazil, click here.

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VF Sustainability Report and Better Cotton video released

Well Studio on October 29, 2014

Better Cotton Fast Track Program member VF recently released their comprehensive online Sustainability Report, citing their commitment to Better Cotton in Eric Wiseman’s (CEO) opening address. Click here to read about their commitment to more responsible cotton production, and view VF’s newly released video on our Vimeo channel featuring BCI China Country Manager, Sherry Wu:vimeo.com/bettercotton

VF annually purchases about 1 percent of the world’s cotton, which requires land roughly 32 times the size of Manhattan Island, New York, to fill their orders. Their commitment to BCI means that the cotton farmers who cultivate some of that land learn how to grow cotton in a way that cares for the environment, according to the BCI Production Principles.

Brad van Voorhees (VF Supply Chain Sustainability) says: “VF has aligned with the Better Cotton Initiative as we believe it is the best solution to address the environmental and social issues associated with the production of one of our most important raw materials.”

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H&M launch new Conscious Denim Collection.

Well Studio on October 2, 2014

Go Green, Wear Blue. That’s the mantra for BCI Pioneer Member H&M’s new Conscious Denim collection. H&M have seen great success through their Conscious Collections in the past, and this product launch focuses purely on Denim. Denim production is traditionally process heavy – not only the environmental, social and economic impacts associated with the growing of conventional cotton, which BCI works to address – but many denim items are also dyed with toxic dyes, sandblasted and chemically softened. Available in stores from today, the Conscious Denim collection aims to improve the production of denim-wear by combining more sustainable materials with more sustainable production.

H&M are BCI Pioneer members – part of a dedicated group of Retailers and Brands deeply committed to the success of Better Cotton, who wish to be a driving force in making Better Cotton a mainstream commodity. H&M have supported BCI’s mission since the organisation was established in 2005, and have made a public commitment for all cotton in their ranges to come from more sustainable sources by 2020.

This most recent campaign from H&M once again brings to the public’s attention the need for more responsible consumer choices, giving customers the option to buy affordable fashion items whist caring about the future of the planet. Karl-Johan Persson, H&M CEO says: ”At H&M, we have set ourselves the challenge of ultimately making fashion sustainable and sustainability fashionable.”

To learn more, go to H&M’s sustainability website by clicking here.

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CottonConnect China win 2014 Stories from the Field competition.

Well Studio on September 26, 2014

”As long as you are here, I don’t face any challenges.” These are the words of Reheman Yibulayin, a BCI Farmer working with BCI Implementing Partner CottonConnect in China. His story about reducing input costs and improved yields is the winner of our annual Stories from the Field competition for Implementing Partners.

BCI Implementing Partners are crucial to the BCI model. They are the organisations who work most closely with cotton farmers, helping them to grow and sell Better Cotton. Working both directly with farmers and to train trainers, they carry out capacity-building work so that farmers can implement the Better Cotton Production Principles and Criteria, as well as collecting field-level data. This Partnership model expands BCI’s reach and enables scale-up which is critical to achieving the ultimate goal: Better Cotton as a more sustainable mainstream commodity. Every year, BCI runs a competition inviting Partners to relay stories of activities being implemented in the field, and the effect these activities have on individuals and producer communities.

This year’s competition winner, CottonConnect, have been an Implementing Partner of BCI’s since 2010 and are working with BCI on projects in China and India. A pioneering organisation with a social purpose, CottonConnect’s purpose is delivering business benefits to retailers and brands by connecting more sustainable cotton supply chains. They work across the whole supply chain from farm to finished garment, creating transparency, reducing risk and increasing security of supply for buyers.

Click here to read Reheman’s story in full on page 26 of our 2013 Harvest report or to read more farmer’s stories, go to the Stories from the Field page of our website by clicking here.

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Better Cotton 2013 Harvest Report released

Well Studio on September 19, 2014

We are very pleased to announce the publication of the BCI 2013 Harvest Report. This report details our harvest data at global and field level, and completes the second of two reporting stages for 2013 – the first being our Annual Report.

Some highlights include:

» Almost 680,000 farmers met the standard to earn a licence to grow Better Cotton. That’s a 400% increase on last year thanks to great progress made on successful global partnerships.
» 905,000 metric tonnes of Better Cotton were produced, included that produced under two newly benchmarked standards: Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) and the ABR standard in Brazil.
» Better Cotton was produced in 15 countries worldwide.
» Independent case studies were conducted in China and Mali, including qualitative feedback from the farmers themselves on the most significant changes they have seen since becoming part of the Better Cotton movement.

Better Cotton is sown and harvested in different annual cycles all over the world, which means we provide the results of a harvest late on in the following year when all data has been collected, checked and collated.

We’re incredibly proud of everything we achieved on entering our Expansion Phase in 2013, and as the 2014 season continues we’re making strong progress towards making Better Cotton a more sustainable mainstream commodity. If you wish to read more, go to our Annual Reports page by clicking here.

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Better Cotton Elects New Chairperson

Well Studio on September 15, 2014

BCI has announced that Susi Proudman, Vice President of Global Apparel and Equipment Materials at Nike, has been elected Chairperson of the Better Cotton Initiative Council. Proudman will replace Guido Verijke from IKEA whose term as Council Chairperson since 2012 has expired.

Janet Mensink of Solidaridad has been elected Vice Chair.

Nike’s Proudman commented, ”I am delighted and honoured to have been asked by the Council to serve as Chair of the BCI.The initiative has made tremendous progress over recent years in its quest to bring responsible and sustainable practices to the mainstream of cotton production.I look forward to working with fellow Council members and our partners to continue this successful expansion, and in particular, ensuring that systems and processes are in place that will attract many more brands and retailers to the program in support of millions of cotton farmers around the globe.”

The Council is a governance body, elected by BCI members, whose role it is to ensure that BCI has clear strategic direction and adequate policy to successfully fulfil its mission of making global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in, and better for the sector’s future. The Council is made up of organisations representing the different membership categories – Retailer and Brands, Suppliers and Manufacturers, Civil Society and Producer Organisations having three seats each, supplemented by up to three additionalindependent members recognized for their expertise.

To read more about the BCI Council including a list of all Members, please click here.

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Better Cotton Initiative Selected as a LAUNCH Nordic Innovator for 2014

Well Studio on August 29, 2014

We are proud to announce that BCI has been selected as one of LAUNCH Nordic’s top nine Innovators for 2014, receiving support from IKEA, Novezymes, Kvadrat, leading Scientists, Investors and Nordic Gov. The 2014 LAUNCH Nordic Innovation Challengesaw applications from 65 organisations in more than 20 countries that have potential to transform the supply chain of textiles, fabrics and fibres to a system that has a minimal environmental impact and drive social equality.

As a result of BCI’s successful 2014 Challenge application we have been selected to participate in the LAUNCH Nordic Forum in Malm√∂, Sweden. Later this year, as part of the programme, 30 industry executives, materials experts, government officials and investors will gather and form the LAUNCH Nordic Council to offer insight and guidance to help scale its leading innovators. BCI will then take part in an accelerator programme to develop ideas and will be provided with access to capital for innovation, credibility and capacity.

Lena Staafgard, Business Director, BCI says ”We’re excited and proud to be part of the Launch Nordic group of innovators – a confirmation that BCI is continuing to break new ground when it comes to finding ways to really mainstream sustainability in a sector as complex as cotton. After five years we know there is no magic wand to fall back on for creating lasting change and are committed to keep up our focus on learning and innovation to find the most efficient and effective towards a better future.”

To read more about the LAUNCH Nordic programme, please click here.

LAUNCH Nordic is a global innovation platform by: IKEA, Novozymes, Kvadrat, 3GF, Danish Ministry of the Environment & The Fund for Green Business Development, the City of Copenhagen and Vinnova. LAUNCH Nordic was created in collaboration with LAUNCH, a strategic partnership between NASA, NIKE, The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) & The U.S. Department of State

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Better Cotton Achieves ISEAL Membership

Well Studio on August 7, 2014

We are delighted to announce that BCI’s application to join the ISEAL Alliance has been approved and BCI has now become an associate member of ISEAL. ISEAL is the global membership association for sustainability standards, and includes as members some of the most recognised and credible standards systems in the world, including Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) UTZ Certified, Fairtrade and RainforestAlliance. All members must embrace the ISEAL Credibility Principles, meet the entry level criteria of ISEAL’sCodes of Good Practice,agree to fully comply with the Codes within a set time frame, and commit to continuous learning and improvement.Since being established in 2005, BCI has been working hard to build the system that follows good practices as recommended by ISEAL.

Patrick Laine, CEO, BCI: ”With more than 450 sustainability initiatives being implemented around the globe, it is understandable that companies are unsure about which ones to commit to. Adoption of ISEAL practices by sustainability initiatives provides companies assurance that the initiative is credible, and not just a marketing program or awareness-raising campaign.BCI is delighted that its program has received this level of recognition.”

Karin Kreider, Executive Director, ISEAL: ”ISEAL applauds the Better Cotton Initiative on all of the effort the organisation has put in to become an ISEAL associate member and demonstrate that its global standards programme follows credible and effective practices. We are thrilled to have such an influential initiative in the cotton sector joining the ISEAL Alliance and committing to working alongside other sustainability standards to deliver positive impacts.”

Being an ISEAL member, full or associate, is a sign of trust that a Standards System is credible and has been developed following globally recognised good practices. With the recognition of ISEAL, prospective BCI members can have confidence that by supporting Better Cotton, they are supporting a more sustainable future for the cotton sector as a whole.

Follow these links to learn more about ISEAL and the Better Cotton Standards System.To read the announcement on ISEAL’s website, click here.

 

 

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Better Cotton Fast Track Program Release Annual Report

Well Studio on August 5, 2014

”Better Cotton Fast Track Program” (BCFTP) was founded in 2009-10 by a group of leading private and public organizations, convened by IDH the Sustainable Trade Initiative. Through a demand-driven strategy based upon the financial commitment of leading retailers and brands and match-funded by a group of public funders the Program invests in farmer capacity building projects across the globe. In 2013, the Fast Track Fund supported over 30 farm level projects in six countries, reaching out over 200,000 farmers who have produced almost 750,000 metric tons of Better Cotton.

For more information on the progress of BCFTP in its 4th year, we are pleased to share the Better Cotton Fast Track Program End Year Report 2013 – “Mainstreaming the Midstream’.

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“The solution was Better Cotton,” says Levi Strauss & Co.’s President and CEO

Well Studio on July 31, 2014

In a follow-up article to his recent public talk about Levi Strauss & Co.’s commitment to sustainability, President and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co. Chip Bergh says in the Huffington Post that BCI is the solution to Levi’s “Watergrowing” process promoting sustainable cotton farming that uses less water.

Levi Strauss & Co. has been a BCI member since 2009 and became a Pioneer Member at the start of this year. They have committed to sourcing 20% of all jeans as Better Cotton by 2015.

Read the full article here.

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WWF and IKEA Release Better Cotton Project Report

Well Studio on July 9, 2014

BCI are pleased to share the results of an inspiring collaboration between two of our most active members.

WWF and IKEA are both founding members of BCI, and have always been fundamental in supporting our efforts to transform cotton production worldwide by developing Better Cotton as a sustainable mainstream commodity. In 2005, WWF and IKEA started collaborating on joint projects in India and Pakistan, and have recently released an inspiring “progress report’. The report outlines the partnership history and story so far, and details 2013 project results including reduced usage of chemical pesticides, chemical fertilisers and water, along with improved earnings and social benefits for workers.

Through BCI, and supported by our partners and members including WWF and IKEA, 193,000 farmers in India and Pakistan are now using cotton farming techniques that are better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in and better for the sector’s future.

Click here to read the full report.

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