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Our Cotton Story

Our More Sustainable Cotton

We have been working to ensure that all of our cotton is more sustainable, and even though we came very close to reaching our 2020 goal to source 100% more sustainable cotton, our work doesn’t end. We continue addressing new challenges in sourcing more sustainable cotton, such as a decrease in the global organic cotton supply, increased global demand for organic cotton, changes in fibre mixes due to changing fashion trends, identifying safe sources of recycled cotton, and other issues. Maintaining our commitment of sourcing more sustainable cotton requires a constant effort and dedication from our teams at C&A.

What we mean by: More Sustainable Cotton

More sustainable cotton is either sourced as certified organic cotton (Organic Content Standard, OCS, or Global Organic Textile Standard, GOTS), Better Cotton, recycled cotton, or transitional cotton (transitional cotton is produced by farmers during the time of conversion to organic certification, usually 3 years).

Bio Cotton

Certified Organic Cotton

C&A has been one of the world's leading buyers of certified organic cotton for years. From the grower to the garment maker, our organic cotton supply chain is certified to the Organic Content Standard (OCS) or Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and never blended with conventional cotton. This means that any C&A product in the store labelled with our BIO COTTON seal is guaranteed and certified by OCS and GOTS that the supply chain of the cotton has been thoroughly monitored from source to the final product. This is important because organic cotton protects soil quality, biodiversity, as well as water supply and quality. It’s also safer for farmers’ and their communities’ health.

In-Conversion Cotton

In-Conversion Cotton

In order for farmers to move from conventional methods towards certified organic farming practices an interim period is needed, known as ‘in-conversion’ or ‘transitional’ period, which usually takes up to three years. During that time, farmers implement all the practices required to achieve organic certification (including not using inputs and practices prohibited in organic farming) and are audited annually by certification bodies [1] as per international organic agriculture standards. In-conversion cotton is the output of the farms during this conversion period [2].

The Better Cotton Initiative

The Better Cotton Initiative

Better Cotton means producing cotton in a way that cares for the environment through processes that minimise the negative impact of fertilisers and pesticides, and care for water, soil health and natural habitats. While it does not replace organic cotton, sourcing Better Cotton is a smart approach to mitigate impacts where organic cotton is not feasible or available. It works via a mass balance system, meaning that each unit of Better Cotton we buy supports the production of a unit of Better Cotton somewhere in the world. It also means that the costly segregation process is not necessary, making Better Cotton easier to adopt in the supply chain, and as a result, more scalable. Read more about Better Cotton.

In the 2019-2020 cotton season, some 2.7 million farmers in 23 countries participated in the Better Cotton programme [3]. The initiative trains farmers to produce cotton in ways that respect the environment, boost their incomes, and strengthen the industry. To earn a Better Cotton licence, farmers must demonstrate that they adhere to six principles:

  • Minimising their use of harmful pesticides

  • Using water efficiently

  • Caring for the health of the soil

  • Conserving natural habitats and biodiversity

  • Preserving and caring for the health of the fibre

  • Promoting decent work

These principles help to significantly reduce the impact of growing cotton. The standard can be applied to farms of all sizes and complements other standards for sustainable cotton. While it does not replace our commitment to organic cotton, sourcing Better Cotton was not only vital to our cornerstone commitment of sourcing 100% more sustainable cotton by 2020, but was also a prudent approach to mitigate impacts where organic cotton is not feasible or available. It can be produced in greater quantities than organic cotton because the process advocates a more ‘inclusive’ approach alongside other farming methods.

The Mass Balance System

Better Cotton works using a mass balance system, which encourages suppliers to buy and use more Better Cotton in a cost-efficient manner because it does not require complexities that result in costly physical segregation along the supply chain. Mass balance means what comes out must balance with what went in. For example, if a retailer places an order for finished garments like T-shirts and requests one metric ton of Better Cotton be associated with this order, a cotton farmer somewhere must produce one metric ton of cotton to the Better Cotton Standard. This is then registered on Better Cotton's supply chain system and credits for the order are passed through the supply chain for that same weight in cotton, from one factory to the next. The result is the equivalent amount of cotton that the farmer produced as Better Cotton, but it has been mixed in with conventional cotton in its journey from field to product.