Better Cotton news and archive

Better Cotton to become regenerative standard

Cotton sustainability initiative Better Cotton announced at its annual conference that it would become a regenerative standard within the next twelve months. “While Better Cotton’s field level standard is already recognised to cover many of the core tenets of regenerative agriculture, this move will further ensure that farmers who meet our...

People

Nick Weatherhill appointed CEO of Better Cotton

Better Cotton has announced a change in leadership, with Nick Weatherhill stepping in as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Alan McClay, who officially announced his departure in December 2024 after a decade at the helm. McClay, who led the organisation for ten years, will remain active within Better Cotton through June 2025 to support a smooth...

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Business

Better Cotton shifts to certification model

Better Cotton has announced its official transition into becoming a certification scheme, contributing to efforts of boosting “impartiality and independence” among its business. Farm-level certification decisions will now be outsourced to independent third parties. Tom Owen, head of certification at the non-profit organisation, dedicated to...

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Business

John Lewis and Walmart among winners of Better Cotton's 2024 awards

Cotton sustainability initiative Better Cotton has announced the winners of this year’s Member Awards in a ceremony that took place as part of the organisation’s conference in Istanbul, Turkey. In a release, CEO of the group, Alan McClay, who presented this year’s winners, said it was a “privilege” to host the event with its partners. McClay...

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Business

Zara owner Inditex demands transparency from Better Cotton

Better Cotton, the world's largest cotton sustainability programme, is being asked to answer to growing concerns raised by fashion giant Inditex. In a letter to Better Cotton CEO Alan McClay, Inditex demanded a plan to clarify transparency on cotton traceability following allegations of "illegal practices" by the NGO Earthsight, according to...

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Better Cotton introduces Traceable Better Cotton

The non-profit organisation Better Cotton has launched a new traceability solution for the fashion and textile industry called Traceable Better Cotton, which has been developed over the course of three years. It will provide visibility of the journey of cotton through the supply chain by logging stakeholder input on the Better Cotton platform....

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Better Cotton and Cotton Egypt Association enter strategic partnership

The world’s largest cotton certifier Better Cotton and the Cotton Egypt Association (CEA), responsible for promoting and protecting Egyptian cotton worldwide, have announced a new strategic partnership to expand the Better Cotton programme in Egypt and enhance the sustainability and quality of Egyptian cotton production while ensuring fair...

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Better Cotton signs UN’s Sustainability Pledge

Better Cotton, the world's largest cotton certifier, has signed the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Sustainability Pledge ahead of the launch of its own Traceability Solution at the end of 2023, joining a list of 90 others including Inditex, Vivienne Westwood, Retraced and WWF. The Sustainability Pledge is an open-source...

Fashion

Better Cotton trials traceability solutions across Indian supply chains

The non-profit organisation Better Cotton is trialling a pilot program, implementing different innovative traceability technologies in order to determine the best way to ensure transparency across cotton supply chains. To develop better digital traceability and conclude the potential of each solution, the initiative partnered up withRetraced,...

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Business

Better Cotton outlines new impact targets for 2030

Cotton sustainability organisation Better Cotton has outlined four new impact targets as part of its ongoing 2030 Strategy and plans to drive change in key areas of the industry. The four targets focus on soil health, women’s empowerment, pesticides and sustainable livelihoods, with each sitting alongside the initiative’s initial commitment...

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Business

Alia Malik, senior director at Better Cotton joins ICA as board member

Alia Malik, senior director, data and traceability at Better Cotton has joined the International Cotton Association (ICA) as a new board member. The ICA is an international cotton trade association and arbitral body and was set up 180 years ago in 1841 in Liverpool, UK. “I am delighted to join the board of one of the oldest organisations in the...

Fashion

Better Cotton expands efforts to southern Chad through new partnerships

Better Cotton, a non-profit that promotes and teaches better standards in cotton farming, is expanding its efforts to southern Chad. The organisation has inked partnerships with IDH, a sustainable trade initiative organisation, and Cotontchad, an agribusiness company working with smallholder farmers in the southern region of Chad. Better Cotton...