Timberland launches first products made with community cotton

Timberland is rolling out its first products using Community Cotton fibre sourced from its sustainable supply chain of cotton in Haiti as part of its spring 2021 collection.

The collection follows Timberland’s five-year journey to reintroduce cotton farming to Haiti in partnership with the Smallholder Farmers Alliance, to create a new supply chain for sustainable cotton, while at the same time advancing the reforestation of Haiti and improving farmers’ lives.

Atlanta McIlwraith, director of global community engagement and activation for Timberland, said in a statement: “Five years ago, Timberland set out with a vision to bring cotton farming back to Haiti after a 30-year hiatus. Today, we are incredibly proud to have a new source of responsibly grown cotton. We branded it Community Cotton, because the agroforestry model plants trees, increases farm productivity, and enhances farmers’ incomes and lives.

“We are honoured to work alongside the Smallholder Farmers Alliance on this program that advances all three of Timberland’s CSR priorities: to create better product, stronger communities and a greener world.”

The sustainable cotton supply chain initiative began in 2016 when Timberland invested in a feasibility study to explore cotton’s return to Haiti after a 30-year hiatus. In 2018, one hundred farmers planted the leading varieties of cotton and in January of 2019, Timberland participated in Haiti’s first commercial cotton harvest since the late 1980s.

In 2019, the scheme expanded to 225 farmers planting cotton, with the project hoping to scale up over the coming years to eventual engage with as many as 10,000 farmers.

This sustainable cotton, named Community Cotton by Timberland has now been used in the brand’s spring 2021 collection for the first time, with women’s Atlanta Green EK+ Sneakers, men’s TrueCloud EK+ Sneakers and Caswell EK+ Bags made using the cotton.