It ain't fashion, if it ain't sustainable

Pesticide Action Network

Cotton Crisis / Probing Deep

13 June 2023

7 minutes

It is disappointing that after all these years a lot of companies did not make any or little progress, and 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. It shows that the gap between frontrunners and laggards is getting bigger.

‘Certified’ Cotton Not Always ‘Sustainable’ Cotton; Brands & Retailers Must Raise Transparency Bar

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.

Subir Ghosh

Interview

Cotton Crisis / 2023 Rankings

13 June 2023

4 minutes

This is not the first time that Solidaridad and PAN UK have released cotton rankings. Brands and retailers, by virtue of these Rankings, knew where they stood as far as cotton was concerned, and so did the world. They had all the time to make course corrections. What is astounding, therefore, is that in spite of all the resources at their disposal—financial, material and logistical—and all that chest-thumping and deafening rhetoric, brands still cut a sorry figure.

Almost 90% of Top Retailers and Brands Still Unsustainable, Not Transparent on Cotton

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).

Subir Ghosh

Report