Tamar Hoek

The subject of cotton farmers keeps raising its head time and again, though in the context of broader discussions about cotton, but invariably the disconcerting issues facing them often languish on the periphery. An analysis of a Solidaridad paper that spotlights on the plight of farmers.

The Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) will now function as an independent non-profit even as it reaffirmed its commitment with its founder, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC),  to align tools and strategies for a shared vision of improved global working conditions. 

Solidaridad has just published a paper on the interplay between cotton and climate change, which shows that in the near future almost every cotton producing country will be negatively affected by climate change. The paper’s author, Tamar Hoek, Senior Policy Director (Sustainable Fashion), responds to questions related to the paper.

In the foreseeable future, almost all cotton producing regions around the world will be negatively impacted by climate change, and if brands/retailers don't do their bit about their relationships with cotton farmers and value chains, the damage to livelihoods and production could be irreversible.

It is disappointing to see that a lot of companies still do not see the urgency of how important it is to source sustainable cotton. There is still so much fear around transparency of where the cotton comes from, the volume and certifications used. The just-released 2023 Cotton Ranking report by Solidaridad Network and Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) shows that the gap between frontrunners and laggards is getting bigger.

Jargon-laden and flowery sustainability reports by a majority of top brands and retailers would come across as a heap of gobbledygook if their actual performance is taken into account. Well, certainly for the cotton sector. As many as 89% are still non-transparent, unsustainable and show little progress towards improving labour conditions, says the 2023 Cotton Ranking just published by Solidaridad Europe and the Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK).

Commodity prices have a direct bearing on farmer incomes, as do the prices that garment manufacturers are willing to pay for raw materials. Tamar Hoek, Senior Policy Director (Sustainable Fashion) at Solidaridad Network, disentangles the threads that make for these intricate relationships.

In a bid to help increase yields and market access for smallholder farmers, promote decent work, reduce inequality, and drive women’s empowerment in cotton production, Better Cotton has come up with four new ‘Impact Targets’.