Lindex to support 350 female cotton farmers through new project

Swedish fashion chain Lindex has collaborated with CottonConnect on a project which aims to train and educate 350 female cotton farmers to work in a more circular way.

The two-year 'Women in Cotton' project, which Lindex is funding, will help women from tribal areas in India transition from conventional farming to organic farming. They will also be educated about organic farming, business management, health and labour rights.

“As one of the world's largest buyers of organic cotton, we are working to further increase the supply of organic cotton, while at the same time continuing the important work of strengthening women,” Anna-Karin Dahlberg, sustainability manager at Lindex, said in a statement.

Only around two percent of the world's cotton is organically grown, according to Lindex.

Alison Ward, CEO at CottonConnect, added: "Our partnership with Lindex seeks to transform the organic cotton sector not only by increasing the volumes of organic cotton and by working with women who are often neglected in training programmes; but also, and very importantly, by creating a direct link between the farm community and the brand. We believe this is essential if we are to truly change cotton supply chains.”

Lindex said that 68 percent of the cotton it uses in its collections is currently organic, while its entire baby assortment is made of more sustainable materials, including organic and GOTS certified cotton. The Swedish brand, which is also participating in Circle Economy’s new two-year circularity project, is aiming for 100 percent of its materials to be either recycled or come from sustainable sources by 2025.

Photo credit: Lindex