The Sustainable Cotton Hub seeks to lay out the sustainability challenges in cotton production, looking at economic, social and environmental sustainability factors through a series of papers. Our first paper is on Corporate Responsibility in the cotton sector. New papers will be added throughout the year, accompanied by concrete recommendations for the various actors across the cotton value chain, offering realistic ways forward to make a real change.

The root cause of unsustainability in the cotton sector is a lack of investment in producers. The solution is in the hands of retailers and brands. Sourcing 100% of cotton from certified sources is a bare minimum that too many companies are failing to achieve.

Only 9 of the 82 largest cotton-sourcing companies in the world are found to be doing the bare minimum of sourcing 99% or more of their cotton from certified sources. All other companies are failing to achieve even this bare minimum, with 30 companies scoring zero.

“In reality, given the resources available to big brands, unsustainable cotton is a choice. A bad one. But it doesn’t have to be one we live with. Brands and retailers can make new decisions. They can choose to be more transparent in their operations, and about their suppliers. They can choose to take on the complex question of fair pay, rather than use it as an excuse. And they can choose to engage with all actors along their supply chain, rather than hiding behind intermediaries.” says Tamar Hoek of Solidaridad Europe.