Cotton

The Denim Deal Monitor 2022 says there is a positive development in the increase in application of post-consumer recycled cotton in denim garments and jeans, with 7 of the 8 participating brands and retailers aiming for higher targets than the 5%-PCR-content in the coming years.

A tripartite agreement between the ILO, IFC and the Uzbek government will help the country’s cotton, textile, and garment industry to promote labour standards and competitiveness through compliance assessments, training and advisory services.

A labour watchdog has provided first-hand evidence of forced labour in the 2022 cotton harvest in Turkmenistan and called for comprehensive reforms to end forced labour and create a broader enabling environment for labour rights.

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).

Better Cotton has signed a roadmap with key stakeholders in Uzbekistan to build effective management systems for the Better Cotton Programme and raise awareness amongst cotton stakeholders in the country on sustainability pillars.

In a global first, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) will soon be able to detect organic versus non-organic cotton fields in India by using AI and satellite imagery.

WWF has released the findings of a benchmarking analysis that sought  to better understand the strengths and limitations in the coverage of key sustainability issues by six significant cotton production standards.

Research by scientists at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research could assist cotton producers struggling with drought and dropping water tables in maximising crop yields from limited water with some planning and implementation of variable deficit irrigation.

Digital traceability players Haelixa and CottonConnect have joined hands to prove that traceability of cotton fibres will create transparency in the value chain, support circularity, and validate any sustainability claims.