With rising demand from the garment sector, the need for higher quality, more sustainable, and traceable cotton is urgent. Alison Ward walks us through the future of sustainable organic fabrics.
Our world today is seeing the impact of climate change with increasing floods and erratic rainfall and droughts across all continents. It seems increasingly defined by fragmentation.
Geopolitical tensions, economic instability and digital echo chambers are driving nations and organisations inward. The instinct to retreat into self-interest feels almost inevitable, and yet, it is precisely in our self-interest to collaborate.
Climate change is one of the most complex and urgent global challenges and the solutions transcend borders and private vs public divides. Its impacts are shared, and our responses should be, too.
Agriculture sits at the heart of this challenge. Cotton, in particular, supports millions of farmers and fuels one of the world’s largest industries: fashion. To secure future production and fulfil the demands of consumers, investors, and regulatory bodies, it is essential for the industry to implement sustainable and equitable practices. This will require collaboration between businesses and policymakers to ensure solutions are practical and scalable.
Lasting change requires more than innovation or good intentions. Drawing on over a decade of experience transforming the cotton supply chain, CottonConnect recognises the critical value of cooperation. Our partnership model, encompassing brand partners, governmental organisations, supply chain actors, implementing agencies, and farmers, has been fundamental to delivering tangible impact.
In 2023-24 alone, these collective efforts enabled us to provide over 452,000 farmers with training and resources to implement sustainable agricultural practices. As a result, we observed measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, the results of our second Life Cycle Assessment [LCA] study indicates that decreased use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and water has led to a potential 35% reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions.
Each stakeholder has its strengths and a role to play. Governments understand local realities, enforce standards, and create frameworks that can drive systemic improvements. Businesses bring scale, market knowledge, and the ability to translate sustainability into action. Owing to their extensive reach and significant advertising influence over the general public, they also possess the ability to shape consumer behaviour in support of more sustainably produced clothing.
A recent partnership between CottonConnect and Bangladesh’s Cotton Development Board [CDB] shows the power of such partnership. Bangladesh, a global textile hub, is looking to expand and improve its cotton production.
According to the CDB, around 60,000 farmers across 39 districts are already growing cotton, and with rising demand from the garment sector, the need for higher quality, more sustainable, and traceable cotton is urgent. By joining forces, CottonConnect and the CDB aim to enhance cotton in all these areas, while connecting improvements directly to Bangladesh’s garment industry.
At the heart of this work is farmer empowerment. Smallholder farmers are the backbone of cotton supply chains, yet they often face the brunt of economic and climate pressures. Partnerships like ours, between policy and business, support farmers with fair income and better working conditions. When farmers are equipped to thrive, supply chains become stronger and more resilient, and brands can meet rising expectations for ethically sourced materials.
Sustainability and traceability are also non-negotiable in today’s market. Regenerative farming practices, improvements in fibre quality, and systems to track cotton from farm to final product are essential for securing Bangladesh’s competitive position while also promoting environmental stewardship.
It is about future-proofing the industry by helping farming communities adapt to climate pressures and build long-term resilience. In regions like Bangladesh, where agriculture contributes significantly to the country’s GDP and employment, these efforts are critical for maintaining economic growth, stability and the wellbeing of its people.
The partnership shows how valuable it is for businesses and government to share knowledge. By learning from each other, trying new technologies, and exploring new markets, like medical textiles and bio-composite materials, they can create practical solutions that fit local needs. No single organisation can transform the industry alone, but working together makes it more likely that changes will succeed, grow, and last.
The bigger picture is clear: sustainable, resilient agriculture requires collaboration across sectors. Governments provide frameworks, oversight, and local knowledge. Businesses bring innovation, reach, and market access. When these strengths align, the potential to support farmers, protect natural resources, and meet global demand is far greater than when either acts alone.
Our Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] with the CDB is a step in this direction. It shows that embedding sustainability into cotton cultivation is possible when farmers’ needs, market realities, and environmental stewardship are addressed together. It is a model that can inspire similar collaborations worldwide, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals while ensuring that farming communities are not left behind in the push for sustainable textiles.
Collaboration is not a silver bullet. But by combining expertise, authority, and shared purpose, business and policy can make measurable progress toward a future where agriculture is productive and fair.
Alison Ward is CEO at CottonConnect, an organisation helping global brands source more fairly and sustainably by creating more robust, resilient and successful raw material supply chains.
Image: Jed Owen / Unsplash
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