US cotton research and promotion organisation, Cotton Incorporated has collaborated with MCL News & Media to put together a new Cotton & Sustainability Guide which is designed to help brands and retailers navigate the intricate and evolving intersection of cotton production and sustainability.
Produced in partnership with MCL News & Media, the publisher of Ecotextile News, this invaluable 120-page guide to cotton programmes and sustainability is free to download with printed copies available at MCL News & Media and booths at trade fairs globally.
Researched and written by cotton expert and regular Ecotextile News columnist Simon Ferrigno, edited by Ecotextile News editor John Mowbray, and with an introduction by Jesse Daystar, Ph.D., chief sustainability officer at Cotton Incorporated, the guidebook outlines the latest cotton standards, presenting their main features, background and goals, to help readers in their understanding of the plethora of programmes and schemes that are available.
Throughout the guide, Ferrigno explores a range of key factors influencing the sector such as traceability, verification and assurance; the legal criteria for cotton and sustainability; promoter led schemes; and projects and interventions.
“All cotton standards and programmes use the same toolboxes to develop their unique criteria, and all make trade-offs and compromises as they do, depending on their end goals, and final targets,” explains Ferrigno.
“The common goal is a desire to reduce cotton’s negative impacts and improve some elements.
“It’s hard to find the right standard or scheme, because it can be hard to find summaries and details that don’t come with a sales pitch. This guide tries to do just that.”
Also contained within the guide are introduction sections that set out the main theories behind sustainable cotton, the agricultural theories, and explanations of the different understanding of terms like “regenerative”, which can have different definitions, but also builds on earlier concepts like agroecology.
Ferrigno also discusses how to trace, trust the verification model, and measure results in cotton supply chains, as well as regulatory requirements and the legal bases of sustainable agriculture.
Daystar adds: “In a field as complex as sustainability, where differing and sometimes biased opinions abound, The Cotton & Sustainability Guide offers a balanced perspective. It cuts through the noise to provide reliable insights and a clear representation of various cotton programmes.
“The guide delves into agricultural practices such as agroecology and regenerative agriculture, while also addressing supply chain challenges like traceability and data reporting.”
For more details and to download the guidebook, please FOLLOW THIS LINK.
