myBetterCotton
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Tajikistan Partnership Established

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Tajikistan Partnership Established

Well Studio on July 4, 2014

“We are very pleased to announce that having successfully become BCI’s Implementing Partner for Tajikistan, Consumer Cooperative “Sarob’ will take over the responsibility for Better Cotton in the country. This follows a handover from our existing Partner FFPSD/GIZ, after an exemplary capacity building process between both partners where Sarob were previously Local Implementation Partners. To ensure continuity, FFPSD/GIZ will continue with the overall technical support of Sarob within the current programme phase until the end of March 2015, which will be extended as needed into the next phase until 2018.’

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Mozambique Becomes the First Government to Adopt the Better Cotton Production Standard

Well Studio on July 4, 2014

The Mozambican government institute of Cotton (IAM), the leading governmental body for the development of cotton sector in Mozambique, has signed a strategic partnership agreement with BCI which embeds the Better Cotton Production Standards into the national program for cotton production. IAM will be BCI’s strategic partner to ensure the implementation of the Better Cotton standard across the spectrum of actors in the Mozambique cotton industry.

BCI CEO Patrick Laine commented, ”With this agreement IAM becomes the first government organisation to adopt the Better Cotton Production Standard as its national cotton system. BCI is delighted by the leadership example the Mozambique government is setting in this field. We look forward to working with them to ensure the successful implementation of this program which will increase the incomes of farmers while improving other social and environmental impacts associated with the production of cotton.”

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Australian Cotton Industry Signs Historic Agreement with Better Cotton

Well Studio on June 24, 2014

Cotton Australia, the leading representative body for Australia’s cotton growing industry, has signed a landmark partnership agreement with BCI allowing cotton produced under the Australian myBMP certification to be sold into the global market as Better Cotton. The agreement marks a historic point in the global supply of Better Cotton. BCI CEO, Patrick Laine, commented this week: ”Australian producers have made remarkable progress, far beyond legal compliance, in growing cotton for the benefit of people and planet. BCI is delighted to recognise myBMP as providing a credible, verified framework for documenting this continuous improvement. myBMP farmers are leading by example.”

Cotton Australia CEO, Adam Kay, says the agreement would be welcomed by Australian cotton growers and the wider industry: ”Access to future growth markets is of tremendous importance to Australian cotton growers, particularly as they contend with competition from synthetic fibres. Within the global natural fibre market, demand for responsibly grown cotton is growing, and this agreement allows Australian cotton growers to participate more easily in that expanding market.”

BCI members will benefit from being able to procure Australian-grown Better Cotton from myBMP certified farmers, and Australian cotton growers will be able to use a single system to produce cotton under both the myBMP and Better Cotton banners. We are looking forward to continuing to work together, recognising the substantial efforts of the Australian cotton industry to generate environmental, economic and social benefits.

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Better Cotton in Turkey Reaches New Level of Recognition

Well Studio on June 24, 2014

Better Cotton in Turkey has taken a significant step forwards in the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between the Good Cotton Practices Association (IPUD) and BCI. Founded in September 2013 as part of an ongoing effort to establish Turkey as a region for Better Cotton production, IPUD will be the stewards of Better Cotton activities in Turkey, supported by the BCI Secretariat. With the signing of the agreement IPUD commit to taking significant leadership in the implementation of the Better Cotton standard amongst Turkish cotton industry actors .

Having worked closely with the Turkish cotton sector since 2011, BCI will report on the first 2013 harvest of Better Cotton later this year. This is an innovative transition model for the implementation of Better Cotton in a country, and represents a substantial mutual opportunity to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of producing Better Cotton.

 

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Growth for Better Cotton and ABR Cotton in Brazil

Well Studio on June 23, 2014

BCI recently held its first official Partners’ meeting with Abrapa in Brasilia, which followed the successful conclusion of a Strategic Partnership Agreement between the two organisations in March of this year.As a result, all Brazilian growers of certified ABR cotton are eligible to opt-in and have ABR cotton recognised as Better Cotton from this year forward. Tremendous progress continues to be made in bringing more Brazilian farmers on-board with the ABR and Better Cotton programmes, and the total Better Cotton lint production in 2014 is expected to increase by more than one-third compared to last year. Not only will this contribute to the continued growth of Better Cotton in the global supply chain, but also provide Brazilian farmers with a way to better showcase their sustainability credentials.

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1.5 million people in Cameroon now benefit from Cotton made in Africa

Well Studio on June 13, 2014

In 2013, a Strategic Partnership Agreement was signed between BCI and Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), benchmarking standards and meaning that CmiA can now be sold as Better Cotton, increasing the amount available in the global supply chain.

We’re pleased to share CmiA’s news that after successfully completing verification, more than 226,000 smallholder farmers in Cameroon are for the first time growing cotton to the CmiA standard. Cotton is considered one of the main sources of income for families in rural Cameroon, and, with CmiA’s support, these families will now have the tools they need to succeed financially. Including the family members of the smallholder farmers, this expansion into Cameroon means that an additional 1.5 million people will now benefit from the program.

Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) is an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) that provides assistance in helping people help themselves through trade, to improve the living conditions of cotton farmers and their families in Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, more than 660,000 smallholder farmers in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Ghana, C√¥te d’Ivoire and Cameroon participate in the CmiA program. As CmiA’s reach expands, so does the global reach of Better Cotton providing a more sustainable future for the cotton sector as a whole.

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Former ICAC Executive Director is Better Cotton Keynote Speaker

Well Studio on June 3, 2014

We are pleased to have Dr Terry Townsend as our Keynote Speaker at the BCI General Assembly this June. Described by cotton media as an “industry icon and visionary”, Dr Townsend served as executive director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) from 1999 to 2013. Before that he worked at the United States Department of Agriculture analysing the U.S. cotton industry and editing a magazine devoted to a cross-section of agricultural issues. Dr Townsend now works as a consultant on commodity issues, especially those involving cotton, and he sits on the BCI Advisory Committee.Members can hear Dr Townsend speak on Tuesday, 24 June. If you haven’t already, you can register to attend the General Assembly byclicking here.

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Former ICAC Executive Director is Better Cotton Keynote Speaker

Well Studio on June 3, 2014

We are pleased to have Dr Terry Townsend as our Keynote Speaker at the BCI General Assembly this June. Described by cotton media as an “industry icon and visionary”, Dr Townsend served as executive director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) from 1999 to 2013. Before that he worked at the United States Department of Agriculture analysing the U.S. cotton industry and editing a magazine devoted to a cross-section of agricultural issues. Dr Townsend now works as a consultant on commodity issues, especially those involving cotton, and he sits on the BCI Advisory Committee.Members can hear Dr Townsend speak on Tuesday, 24 June. If you haven’t already, you can register to attend the General Assembly byclicking here.

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adidas Exceeds Better Cotton Target in 2013 Sustainability Report

Well Studio on April 17, 2014

BCI Pioneer member, adidas, have released their 2013 sustainability report, entitled “Fair Play’. The report details their progress in sustainable materials use and in supplier audits and makes specific reference to their achievements using Better Cotton to date. Highlights include:

» adidas surpassed its goal of using 15% Better Cotton by 2013, sourcing more than 23 percent of all cotton as Better Cotton.

» By the end of 2013, adidas saved 50 million litres of water using the new technology “DryDye’ fabricin its production.

» Energy management trainings sessions delivered a reduction in consumption at supplier level.

As a BCI Pioneer member, adidas have committed to source 100 percent of cotton across all product categories in all its brands as “more sustainable cotton’ by 2018. Read the report in full by clicking here.

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Better Cotton 2013 Annual Report released

Well Studio on April 15, 2014

We are very pleased to announce we have published the BCI 2013 Annual Report. This is the first of two reporting stages in 2013, in which you will find the latest updates on global numbers, membership and partnership activities, reviews of our organisational aims, and our financial statements. Highlights from 2013:

  • 300,000 farmers in 8 countries received training on Better Cotton production principles
  • 810,000 metric tonnes of Better Cotton was licensed
  • The number of BCI member organisations doubled to 313
  • A new Assurance Program was launched
  • Strategic partnerships were made with the Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) program and the ABR standard in Brazil, meaning that both CmiA and ABR cotton can be sold as Better Cotton.

We’re really proud of everything we achieved so far in 2013. We’ll hopefully have a lot more to celebrate when we release our 2013 Harvest Report (containing the data from the field), in September. If you wish to read more, you can go to our Annual Reports page by clicking here.

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H&M release 2013 Sustainability Report

Well Studio on April 10, 2014

Following the successful launch of the Conscious Collection, H&M released it’s 2013 Conscious Actions Sustainability Report today. Highlights of the report include:

– Doubling their procurement of more sustainable cotton in the last two years.

– 15.8% of the cotton they use being certified Organic, Better Cotton or Recycled.

– More sustainable fabrics now representing 11% of products’ total material use.

The report shows H&M’s dedication to more sustainable solutions both throughout the supply chain and in product innovation, detailing their progress to date on a journey towards “creating a more sustainable fashion future.’

”We take a long-term view on our business, and investing in our sustainability means investing in our future. This gives us the opportunity to contribute to the development of communities around the world, and better lives for millions of people”, says Karl-Johan Persson, CEO at H&M

As a BCI Pioneer member, H&M have committed to sourcing all of their cotton from “more sustainable sources’ (including Better Cotton, Organic and Recycled) by 2020. To read more about H&M’s sustainability commitments, go to their “About H&M’ website by clicking here.

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Nike Become a Pioneer Member

Well Studio on April 4, 2014

We are pleased to announce that Nike have become our 6th BCI Pioneer, having been involved in the Better Cotton movement since 2008. They join a dedicated group of Retailers & Brands deeply committed to the success of Better Cotton, who wish to be a driving force in making Better Cotton a mainstream commodity. BCI Pioneer members are leaders in their sector and key investors in supply creation. Nike have said ”As a BCI member since 2010, Nike has proudly supported farmers growing Better Cotton worldwide. Becoming a Pioneer Member reinforces our commitment to increasing the scale and availability of better material choices for the entire industry, our consumers, and the planet – it’s about changing the game.” To read more on our members, view our members map by clicking here.

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