Cotton news and archive

Textile Exchange: Fashion still relying on virgin, fossil-based synthetic fibres

Data from non-profit Textile Exchange’s latest Materials Market Report shows that the market share of virgin, fossil-based synthetics continued to increase in 2023, while that of cotton and recycled fibres declined. These findings correspond to those of a survey among 50 major fashion brands by NGO Changing Markets Foundation: The brands...

Fashion

Fashion industry unveils financing scheme for cotton decarbonisation

The fashion industry has launched an ambitious programme to incentivise sustainable cotton production, signalling a shift towards collaborative efforts in tackling supply chain emissions. The Unlock Programme, developed by The Fashion Pact and sustainability consultancy 2050, aims to provide financial incentives for farmers to adopt lower-impact...

Business

Aid by Trade Foundation publishes results of independent verifications of CmiA standards

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), known for cotton standards such as Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) and Cotton made in Africa Organic, has once again published its annual aggregated report on the verification and implementation of CmiA. This summarises the results of independent verifications of CmiA standards and thus offers the public...

Business

Aid by Trade Foundation looks back on a successful year 2023

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), known for the cotton standards Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) and Cotton made in Africa Organic, as well as the Good Cashmere Standard and the Regenerative Cotton Standard (RCS), recently published its 2023 annual report. According to the report, the Foundation was once again able to successfully strengthen the...

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What exactly does “regenerative” mean in fashion?

The term “regenerative” is popping up more and more often. But what does it actually mean? And what are regenerative agricultural practices and is there such a thing as regenerative fashion? Many different approaches “‘Regenerative’ is not a defined term,” states Sanne van den Dungen. She is co-founder of Raddis Cotton, an organisation that...

BusinessPress Release

Better Cotton Council welcomes new appointments

Better Cotton, the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative, has announced the appointment of two new co-chairs and five new members to its Council. • Better Cotton Council welcomes new co-chairs from international not-for-profit Solidaridad and US cotton trader Louis Dreyfus Company. • Representatives from Marks & Spencer, J.Crew Group,...

Business

Carhartt becomes a member of the US Cotton Trust Protocol

Workwear brand Carhatt, Inc. is the latest brand to join the sustainable cotton program, the US Cotton Trust Protocol, as part of its broader strategy to source more responsibly grown cotton. “We pride ourselves on a history of manufacturing gear that is built to last from day one with the best and most durable materials available,” said...

Business

Aid by Trade Foundation expands to India through Regenerative Cotton Standard

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), known for its cotton standards Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) and Cotton made in Africa Organic, expanded its range last year with the Regenerative Cotton Standard (RCS), the first of its kind to explicitly prioritise the knowledge and interests of small-scale farmers. The voluntary standard targets the entire...

Business

FibreTrace partners with Target and Cargill to trace cotton

FibreTrace, the real-time verification solution for fibre integrity and traceability solutions, is partnering with American retail group Target Corp. and Cargill, which supplies food, ingredients, and agricultural solutions to pave the way for real-time verification of US and Brazilian cotton. In a statement, FibreTrace said the innovative...

Fashion

World’s largest fashion brands are using tainted cotton, says investigation

Brazil has long been under scrutiny for deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, but new research from Earthsight shows the destruction of the Cerrado biome, a biodiversity hotspot, has largely escaped notice. While efforts to address the Amazon's plight have seen some progress, deforestation rates in the Cerrado are worsening, driven in part by...

Business|EXCLUSIVE Featured

The Aid by Trade Foundation’s cotton conference: from carbon sequestration to regenerative agriculture and technology

At the annual conference of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) from 11th to 13th March in Mumbai, India, around 100 experts, researchers and specialists from all over the world came together to discuss current challenges and solutions in the field of sustainable cotton and textile production. This year's event focussed on innovative and digital...

Fashion

Swedish researchers created viscose from recycled cotton

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have achieved a breakthrough in textile recycling by developing a technique to produce new viscose from worn-out cotton sheets. Currently, viscose textiles are typically made from forest biomass, and fully recycled viscose is not available. The team's innovative method involves converting complex cotton...