CottonConnect’s Post

At CottonConnect, empowering women is central to our mission. Our CEO, Alison Ward, led a breakout session on Gender Disparities: Promoting Gender Equality at All Levels on June 13 at the ISEAL Alliance's Global Sustainability Symposium, which focused on inclusion and empowerment. She was joined by Virpi Stucki (UNIDO), Claire Reboah (Proforest), and Maria Julia Oliva (UEBT), with Sheila Senathirajah (ISEAL) moderating the session.   Alison highlighted the need to strengthen inclusion and empowerment by examining critical diversity initiatives already being implemented. She shared CottonConnect's efforts to foster a thriving environment for women, including the "Women in CottonConnect" initiative and guidance from our Gender Advisory Panel. Beyond our offices, we reached over 240,000 women farmers in 2023. We aim to reach 500,000 women cotton farmers by 2030 with targeted training programmes, such as the Women Climate Change Ambassadors and Women Entrepreneurship Development programmes. #ISEALGlobalSustainabilitySymposium #Genderequality #inclusion #Empowerment #Womenempowerment #Womenincotton #sustainability #Investinwomen  

The Innovation Forum, Sustainable Apparel and Textiles Conference begins tomorrow. It will bring together industry leaders to discuss how brands can adapt practices to meet ambitious commitments and growing stakeholder expectations. We are happy to announce that our CEO, Alison Ward, will be joining an esteemed panel alongside Laurie Rando, Senior Director, Sustainable Product and Human Rights, Macy's and James Johnson, Vice President of Carzalia Valley Produce, to discuss 'Conscious Cotton : What is the True Potential of Regenerative Practices?' Key discussion points will include: - The potential for regenerative cotton - Effective regenerative approaches - Collaborative efforts between the apparel industry and other sectors on regenerative practices in a landscape/place-based approach - Engaging with farmers to drive initiatives Stay tuned for insights and highlights from this impactful discussion. If you are at the conference, do attend. Here's the full agenda https://lnkd.in/gBsFrxB4 #IFapparelUS24 #Sustainability #ConsciousCotton #RegenerativeAgriculture #NetZero #SupplyChainTransformation #SocialImpact #Leadership #Sustainableagriculture

We are excited to collaborate with Biodiversify and other partners to explore the positive impact of Primark's Sustainable Cotton Programme on the biodiversity surrounding cotton farms in India.

At CottonConnect, we're happy to partner with The White Company to enhance #Egyptiancotton through our REEL Cotton programme. Launched in 2022, our REEL programme in Egypt has grown from supporting 145 smallholder farmers to empowering 350 farmers! The REEL Cotton Code, a three-year training programme, equips farmers with sustainable practices that reduce water usage and environmental impact. Our partnerships with local organisations, such as the Cotton Research Institute and Elekhlas, ensure transparency, traceability, and strong farmer relationships. This is a great example of how collaborations can be a win-win for all involved. Farmers gain valuable skills, the environment thrives, and The White Company accesses high-quality, sustainably produced cotton. Together, we're weaving a more sustainable future for Egyptian cotton, one thread at a time. Watch our programme video to learn more about our work in Egypt. #Egyptiancotton #REELcotton #CottonConnect #Sustainability #Sustainbalecotton #cotton #bedsheets #Egypt #home #fashion

Register today! Don’t miss today’s exciting webinar in partnership with the Innovation Forum! We’ll explore #regenerative sourcing, a revolutionary method set to transform the #cotton industry by enhancing soil health, supporting ecosystems, and boosting farmer livelihoods. Moderator: Tobias Webb, Founder, Innovation Forum Panelists: Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect Hardeep Desai, Global Head of Farm Programmes, CottonConnect Prakash Menakel Philip, Senior Director - Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, CottonConnect June 6th | 14:00 to 15:00 CEST Register here https://lnkd.in/gZnm_9qj

Happy World Environment Day! At CottonConnect, we're committed to a future of sustainable agriculture. Regenerative practices like agroforestry are key to this vision, offering a holistic approach to restoring soil health, supporting biodiversity, and improving farmer livelihoods. Agroforestry isn't just about trees – it's about creating resilient ecosystems that benefit everyone. By integrating trees and shrubs into farming systems, we're seeing increased yields, improved soil health, and enhanced biodiversity. Our farmers are embracing this approach for its environmental benefits and its positive impact on income generation and food security. By working together, farmers, the environment, and soil can all thrive. This is the future of agriculture and land restoration, and we at CottonConnect are committed to leading this transformative movement – for the land and its people. Learn more https://lnkd.in/gS3egCWf #GenerationRestoration #WorldEnvironmentDay #Sustainability #SDG13ClimateAction #Agroforestry #Biodiversity #Soilhealth #Regenerativeagriculture

Register for CottonConnect's webinar in collaboration with the Innovation Forum on June 6th. This session dives deep into #regenerative sourcing, a groundbreaking approach that holds immense promise for the #cotton industry. By restoring soil health, supporting ecosystems, and improving farmer livelihoods, regenerative sourcing can revolutionize the way cotton is produced. Join the discussion with industry leaders: • Moderator: Tobias Webb, Founder, Innovation Forum • Panelists: Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect, Hardeep Desai, Global Head of Farm Programmes, CottonConnect; and Prakash Menakel Philip, Senior Director - Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, CottonConnect Register now to secure your spot and gain valuable insights! Here's the link https://lnkd.in/gZnm_9qj #CottonConnect #Regenerativecotton #CottonFuture #Webinar #soilhealth #ecosystems #farmer #livelihoods #Regenerativeagriculture

Thank you, American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), for the warm welcome! We're excited to be part of AAFA's growing member community and look forward to collaborating and working together. #NewMember #TextileSustainability

It has been an exciting year of training and nurturing the creative talents of our teams at CottonConnect. Last year, we hosted a photography competition for our internal team, showcasing the remarkable talent within our teams and capturing vibrant moments from field visits and interactions with farmers.   This creative growth has been a result of smartphone videography and photography training sessions by Mile 91. Over the last few years, these sessions have enriched our photo and video resources, encouraged collaboration, and empowered teams to share impactful stories from the field.   We're excited to share some of this year's winning photos from our competition, which showcase our teams' remarkable growth. A special thanks to Ben Langdon for his invaluable feedback, which has driven continuous improvement. #collaboration