Who we are
We’re a global community of people passionate about cotton and committed to making cotton systems more RESILIENT AND JUST.
What we do
Drive awareness
We showcase people and projects around the world that are doing cotton better — on farms, at mills, in factories and everywhere in between.
Strenghten expertise
We nurture a community of cotton experts and sustainability professionals who use our network to share knowledge and enable further progress.
Guide change
We support brands and suppliers looking to go beyond certification and level up their supply chain by identifying problems and addressing them at the source.
Why we do it
We know cotton is complex, and dealing with its challenges can seem overwhelming at first. We want to simplify the solutions and help everyone understand the role they can play in making cotton supply chains more sustainable. We believe:
Certification is just a starting point. Fashion brands are increasingly prioritising certified cotton over conventional, demonstrating a commitment to more sustainable supply chains. Now, they need to go one step further and move from standards that provide a positive proof point but address generic problems only, to meaningful due diligence that proactively seeks out problems to solve.
Traceability is the key. Though it can be tricky, the most valuable investment a brand can make when it comes to supply chain sustainability is tracing its cotton back to the source farm — and identifying every broker, mill, ginner, spinner, and manufacturer involved along the way.
Solutions should be specific. Solutions to sustainable cotton are not one-size-fits-all. Every supply chain is unique — made up of different players in different locales. Instead of working against a generic rubric, brands need to figure out which issues are most relevant in their specific supply chains and work to address those.
Approaches must be holistic. Brands should think about sustainability as a combination of tweaks, rather than a result of any single action. While they should prioritise solving the biggest and more relevant problems, they should consider all aspects of sustainability — from soil fertility to labour and human rights; to water and agroecology.
Impact needs intention. Ultimately, the brands that are able to make the most positive change are the ones that build sustainability goals into their strategies and integrate impact into every level of their business instead of delegating it to a single CSR team or charitable foundation.
Everyone needs to act. Though we tend to take a top-down approach that places most of the responsibility on brands, every part of the supply chain must play their part if we’re going to create systemic change. Suppliers should make better purchasing decisions; producers must make more sustainable choices; and consumers need to demand transparency from the brands they buy from.
How you can get involved
If you’re an individual who wants to learn more about cotton…
If you’re a cotton expert who wants to apply your expertise to industry change…
If you’re a brand, a textile company or a non-profit who want to grow, source or talk about cotton better…
