In a groundbreaking development, Switzerland-based sustainability champion, Better Cotton, has unveiled a significant enhancement to its platform, offering unparalleled transparency within the supply chains of major retailers. Notably, retail behemoths such as Walmart and Marks and Spencer have embraced this upgraded system.
The latest improvements grant retailers the power to meticulously trace the origin of cotton, all the way from individual farms to the shelves in their stores. This marks a profound shift from the previous system, which provided only aggregate data on the total cotton production volume.
Jacky Broomhead, Senior Manager at Better Cotton, aptly likened the previous system to an electricity customer who knows the sources of power generation feeding their local grid but lacks the capability to trace it down to individual households. «The changes ensure that you’ll have complete visibility into your acquisitions. You can now follow the entire journey that cotton undertakes before it arrives in your store,» she explained.
Better Cotton, a collaborative effort encompassing corporations and nonprofits, including the World Wildlife Fund, is passionately dedicated to advancing sustainable practices. Their mission extends to critical areas such as water and soil stewardship, along with the promotion of ethical labor standards. Impressively, this initiative supports 2.2 million farmers worldwide, accounting for a substantial 22% of the global cotton production.
Contemporary fashion retailers face mounting pressure from discerning consumers and activist groups to offer products with reduced environmental footprints while ensuring safe and ethical labor practices.
Of noteworthy mention, Better Cotton has taken a principled stance by suspending its licensing of cotton sourced from China’s Xinjiang province. This decision is rooted in a range of concerns, including human rights issues and the challenges posed by audits. Several Western retailers have faced scrutiny for their involvement in raising human rights concerns.
The cotton supply chain is a complex ecosystem, involving various stakeholders, from spinners and traders to manufacturers. Katharine Beacham, Head of Materials and Sustainability at Marks and Spencer, underscores the immense potential of the new functionality, particularly in tracking cotton on a large scale. «By bolstering cotton traceability further down the supply chain, we can foster even closer collaboration with our suppliers,» she emphasized.
This proactive step towards enhanced transparency not only serves the best interests of retailers but also aligns perfectly with the growing demand for sustainable and ethically sourced products. It underscores the commitment of industry leaders to make a positive impact and meets the expectations of consumers seeking eco-conscious and responsible retail options.
