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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We are inviting all interested stakeholders to contribute to the future of the Better Cotton Standard!
Better Cotton has launched a public consultation on targeted updates to its Principles & Criteria (P&C), the farm-level Standard and one of the core components of the Better Cotton Standard System.
This revision is being carried out as a Partial Substantive Revision – Regular, following our Standard-Setting and Revision Procedure v2.2 and aligned with the ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Sustainability Systems v1.0. The consultation will be open from 1 to 31 August 2025. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]
This update focuses on a limited number of Indicators and related guidance under the following Principles:
Principle 1: Management
Principle 2: Natural Resources
Principle 3: Crop Protection
Principle 5: Decent Work
No new Principles, Criteria, or Indicators are being introduced.
We are also consulting on two proposed options for strengthening Regenerative Agriculture through Criterion 1.3 (Continuous Improvement Plans). While regenerative elements already exist in the Standard, these options aim to make those expectations clearer and more actionable.
The proposed changes aim to strengthen our alignment with Regenerative Agriculture and ensure that the P&C is auditable, feasible, and relevant.
This public consultation is your opportunity to shape how the Standard evolves. We are looking for input on whether the proposed changes are:
Relevant to cotton production and evolving sustainability priorities
Feasible for implementation across different cotton production contexts
Auditable within our assurance system
Following the public consultation and further internal consultations, Better Cotton will review all input and publish a summary of feedback, including how it was taken into account.
About the Principles & Criteria
The Better Cotton P&C define what it means to grow cotton in a way that is better for farmers, communities, and the environment. They are used by over 2.13 million licensed Better Cotton Farmers worldwide and apply to cotton production activities within the farm or Producer Unit (PU).
The Standard is globally applicable and is designed to reflect local realities, including farm size, production methods, and cultural and environmental contexts. It embeds a continuous improvement approach, with all Producers expected to meet applicable Indicators before selling cotton as Better Cotton.
Whether you are a farmer, partner, Better Cotton Member, scientist, or simply interested in sustainable agriculture, your voice matters. We encourage everyone to participate and help shape the future of the Better Cotton Standard.
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.
