The Better Cotton annual conference in Amsterdam last month focused on data, legislation and the climate crisis.
The in-person and online event on 21-22 June saw 350 industry stakeholders from 38 countries come together to explore four key themes: climate action, sustainable livelihoods, data and traceability, and regenerative agriculture.
The conference began with a member meeting to preview the India Impact Report from Better Cotton, a cotton sustainability programme (a fifth of the world’s cotton is now grown under the Better Cotton Standard).
This was followed by keynotes from Nisha Onta, regional coordinator for Asia at WOCAN, on climate action, and Antonie Fountain, CEO of the Voice Network, on sustainable livelihoods.
The climate action sessions highlighted “both the scale of the impact of climate change on cotton farming communities, and the scope for collaboration”. Breakout sessions centred on the potential of localised primary data and carbon financing projects to unlock farm-level improvements.
Julia Felipe, a Better Cotton Farmer from Mozambique shared her experiences as part of the ‘sustainable livelihoods’ sessions, as did Jyoti Macwan, the secretary-general of SEWA, a women’s employment association that helps Indian women secure necessities through local social enterprises.
The role of data
The second day kicked off with a presentation from Maxine Bédat, the founder and director of the New Standard Institute, on the importance of data and traceability in a sector that’s facing increasing regulation.
Better Cotton’s senior traceability manager, Jacky Broomhead, then outlined the potential of the organisation’s traceability system as one solution. Erin Klett, senior director of research and policy at Verité, and Sarah Solomon, international relations officer at the US Department of Labour, joined Jacky to discuss the system’s impending launch and “how it aligns with an influx of legislation”.
A series of breakout sessions later covered topics ranging from pilot traceability efforts in India and the value of increased transparency for farmers, to the issue of greenwashing and methods of measuring impact.
The event was concluded with a look at regenerative agriculture, starting with a keynote from Felipe Villela, the founder of reNature.
Better Cotton’s farm sustainability standards manager, Nathalie Ernst, and its senior manager for sustainable agricultural practices, Emma Dennis, helped set the scene as to how this approach can benefit nature and society.
Delegates also heard from a panel of farmers representing India, Pakistan and the US about how their operations have been impacted by the adoption of regenerative practices and the misconception surrounding its applicability.
“This year’s conference has been a resounding success,” commented Alan McClay, Better Cotton’s CEO.
“We’ve heard from experts throughout fashion supply chains, from valued cotton farmers in our network right through to the brands and retailers that source their product. Discussions have reiterated the urgent action required to tackle the worst effects of the climate crisis, but there was also a clear consensus around the need to deliver profound impact at farm level. With a regenerative approach and this group of changemakers we can push for social and environmental transformation.”
