#Raw Materials

2021-07-29

Support for more sustainable cotton farming continues to grow as BCI welcomes new members in 2021

In the first half of 2021 the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) welcomed more than 180 new members across its membership categories. BCI works with members across the cotton supply chain and beyond to ensure there is continuous demand for and supply of Better Cotton– cotton produced by licensed BCI Farmers in line with the Better Cotton Principles and Criteria.

New members in the first half of 2021 included 22 retailers and brands from 13 countries, 165 suppliers and manufacturers and one civil society organisation. Find a full list of members who joined BCI in the first half of 2021 here.

BCI Retailer and Brand Members that joined in the first half of 2021 are Albert Heijn, Distribuidora Liverpool S.A. de C.V., DXL Group, Gerber Childrenswear LLC, Hanes Brands Inc., Happy Socks, Hush, Jacobson Group, Jockey International, Inc., Just Jeans Pty Ltd, Kingfisher plc, Les Deux, Message, Myntra Jabong India Pvt Ltd, ONESIKKS, Rip Curl, Ripley Corp. S.A., RNA Resources Group Ltd, Tally Weijl Trading AG, The Ragged Priest, Tokmanni, Wibra Supermarkt BV.

“Wibra sells affordable products for daily use, including clothing, textiles and cleaning products. We want to ensure that those products are produced under safe and fair circumstances, and also increase the use of more sustainable materials in those products. Cotton is the most used material in our clothing and textiles collections. Yet the environmental impacts of cotton production are large, so we decided to start here. In our search to reduce the environmental impact related to cotton, we have found in BCI a scalable program to source more sustainable cotton and contribute to more sustainable cotton production. The fact that quite a number of our supplier partners already work with BCI is a big help in realising our ambitions.” – Wibra Supermarkt B.V.

“Through BCI we are making a difference in farming communities around the world where we source our cotton. This holistic approach teaches farmers how to improve their yields and protect the environment where they work and live. Safety and trust are the core values of Gerber Childrenswear and we take pride in supporting the BCI principles. We are committed to sourcing 50% of our cotton as Better Cotton by 2026.” – Gerber’s Childrenswear LLC

“Albert Heijn is the biggest primarily food retailer in the Netherlands. We take sustainability seriously for all of our products. Among others, the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is an important tool for Albert Heijn with regard to reducing the potentially negative social and environmental impacts of cotton production.” – Albert Heijn

BCI’s demand-driven funding model means that its Retailer and Brand Member sourcing of cotton as ‘Better Cotton’ directly translates into increased investment in training for cotton farmers on more sustainable practices. Learn more about BCI’s mass balance chain of custody model.

The total uptake of Better Cotton by BCI Retailer and Brand Members in 2020 surpassed 1.7 million metric tonnes – a record for BCI. At the time of writing, collective Better Cotton uptake by Retailer and Brand Members has already surpassed 946,000 metric tonnes this year, on track to exceed the 2020 uptake of 1.7 million metric tonnes if sourcing continues at the current rate.

In addition to new retailers, new Supplier and Manufacturer Members joined from 27 countries, including Bulgaria, El Salvador, Mexico, Singapore and Tunisia. Suppliers and manufacturers support the transformation of the cotton sector by joining BCI and sourcing increased volumes of Better Cotton for BCI Retailer and Brand Members – forming a critical link between Better Cotton supply and demand.

At the end of the first half of 2021, BCI’s membership has grown to include more than 2,200 members. The full list of all BCI Members is online here.

If your organisation is interested in becoming a BCI Member and supporting more sustainable cotton farming practices around the globe, please visit the membership page on the BCI website, or get in touch with the BCI Membership Team.

https://bettercotton.org/get-involved/membership-offer/

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Dr N Vigneshwaran is named 2026 ICAC Researcher of the Year

The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) is pleased to announce the selection of Dr N Vigneshwaran, Principal Scientist and Head of the Chemical and Biochemical Processing Division at the ICAR–Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (ICAR-CIRCOT), Mumbai, India, as the ICAC Researcher of the Year 2026.

New U.S. cotton study uses real-world grower data to reveal where fiber impacts occur

Cotton Incorporated has released a critically reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA) of U.S. cotton fiber production that examines how cotton’s environmental impacts are measured and where meaningful improvements can be made across the value chain. The new data, grounded in real‑world grower inputs, measures what drives U.S. cotton’s environmental footprint from field to gin.

ATCO Hygienics, Uzbekistan, orders baby diaper production line from ANDRITZ

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from ATCO Hygienics to supply a new baby diaper production line for its plant in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The order is included in ANDRITZ’s order intake for the first quarter of 2026. Commissioning of the production line is scheduled for the end of 2026.

Nico Pedretti appointed as Managing Director Graf Group

As of June 1, 2026, Nico Pedretti has assumed the role of Managing Director Graf Group. With more than 20 years of international industrial experience and extensive expertise in Operations, Supply Chain Management, Finance and Controlling, he brings a broad range of leadership and business experience to support Graf’s continued success.