Better Cotton

🔔 Last Call for Proposals! Deadline Tomorrow! 🔔   Are you an expert in delivering training and capacity-strengthening activities? Do you have experience working with the cotton sector in Uzbekistan?   We are seeking proposals for training cotton clusters in Uzbekistan on the Better Cotton Chain of Custody Standard and related processes. This is a unique opportunity to join us in supporting cotton communities to embed sustainable practices and protect the environment.   The project will take place from August 2 to September 13, 2024, in Uzbekistan. Interested suppliers are encouraged to submit their proposals promptly, as the application deadline is tomorrow, July 26, 2024.   To see the full request for proposal and submit your application, click below:   https://lnkd.in/gRfkyqpW   #RequestForProposal #RFP #Training #CapacityStrengthening #Uzbekistan  

Thank you to Vaayu for including the Better Cotton Conference in their list of must-attend sustainability events!🙌 To see what makes our annual conference so special, check out our 2024 showreel video using the link below ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/dmzuHHTV

Better Cotton has welcomed new co-chairs and members to its Council! 👏 Bill Ballenden, a newly elected member and the Head of Sustainability and Innovation at Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) Cotton, and Tamar Hoek, Senior Policy Director for Sustainable Fashion at Solidaridad Network, have been elected as our new co-chairs. In addition to welcoming Bill as one of five new members of the Better Cotton Council, we are also pleased to have Doug Forster of J.Crew Group, Elodie Gilart of Marks and Spencer, Nadia Bilal of Nishat Chunian Limited and vicente mario sando of FONPA onboard. Alan McClay, our CEO, said, “I’m excited to welcome our new co-chairs and members to the Better Cotton Council. Their experience, insights and perspectives will be invaluable as the council continues to evolve to best serve Better Cotton, its affiliated farmers and diverse network of members and partners. I look forward to the discussions we have to come.” https://lnkd.in/eSmwYYEj #BetterCotton #Cotton #Sustainability #Governance #Council

Better Cotton and impact investment firm FS Impact Finance have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop and launch a fund directed at smallholder farmers in the cotton sector.🤝 The fund, initially piloted in India, will help incentivise cotton farming communities to invest in field-level work related to women’s empowerment and climate resilience by eliminating traditional financing barriers. To find out more, click the link below. https://lnkd.in/ejSziGBH #BetterCotton #Sustainability #MicroFinance #SustainableFinance #SustainableInvestment

Yogeshbhai Bharatbhai Kidecha was working in the diamond industry in Surat, a city in the south of Gujarat, when he found out that his father had been diagnosed with cancer following exposure to pesticides. On hearing the news of his father’s diagnosis, Yogeshbhai left Surat and moved back to his hometown to be closer to his family. When he returned, he decided to take on his father’s farm.  In Gujarati, the word ‘Prakritik’ translates to ‘natural’ or ‘organic’. When he took on the farm, Yogeshbhai was determined to follow this principle of using only natural inputs. The practices he introduced and his focus on soil health are now paying dividends.  “My crop and soil have changed dramatically since five years ago,” he says. “The soil itself indicates what it needs. We must meet the soil's needs.” This care for the soil has led to higher quality crops, as well as lower costs. To read Yogeshbhai’s story, head to the link below: #SoilHealth #Sustainability #Cotton #BetterCotton #Natural #India #Gujarat https://lnkd.in/dmTm49BR  

Throughout the Better Cotton Conference 2024, we had graphic recorder Mina Yancı on hand to visually capture the topics, stories and messages that were raised by our amazing speakers as they discussed our four key themes. 🖌️🎨 To explore this visual overview, which also includes key stats and resources from the conference, head to the link below:  https://lnkd.in/eEQzYXH2 #BetterCottonConference2024 #Cotton #Sustainability #GraphicDesign #Design 

We have four traceability webinars coming up in July - to find out more and sign up, check out the links below! 📅✍️

What were your highlights from the 2024 Better Cotton Conference? After another year of lively discussion and debate at our annual conference, it's time to reflect on the crucial insights we learned across the two days, and think about what we can take forward. To get the ball rolling, we have compiled our five key takeaways from the event - here's a sneak peek: 🌍Concept vs Context ⏩Action Over Perfection 📣Championing Voices from the Field ♀️The Gender Lens 💵Pay More to Get More Head to the link below for our full takeaways, and let us know what your highlights were in the comments! ✍️ https://lnkd.in/e4q4SJr6 #BetterCottonConference2024 #AcceleratingImpact #Sustainability #Conference #Takeaways

After two days of inspiring discussions, with over 400 people joining us both virtually and in person, the Better Cotton Conference 2024 finally drew to a close today. 👋 We would like to thank everybody who got involved in our event and made it so special. From our speakers and audience members, to our colleagues and collaborators involved in planning and organising the conference, it’s been remarkable. To recap on today’s insights, head to the link below. We would love to keep the conversation going – please share your highlights, takeaways and photos with us using #BetterCottonConference2024 We hope to see you again this time next year! https://lnkd.in/eBuT5XFy #AcceleratingImpact #Turkiye #Sustainability #Cotton

The Better Cotton Conference 2024 finally kicked off today in Istanbul, as our speakers shared a range of insights across 18 different sessions, focused on #AcceleratingImpact for cotton farming communities. To read our key takeaways from day one, head to the link below. What were your personal highlights? To get involved in the conversation, share your thoughts, reflections and photos with us using the #BetterCottonConference2024 The conference continues tomorrow, when we will be focusing on ‘Understanding Policy and Industry Challenges’ and ‘Reporting on Data and Traceability’ – we look forward to joining you in the discussions! https://lnkd.in/ejrwJGTf