ESG Outlook: Alison Ward of CottonConnect on Delivering a More Sustainable Cotton Supply Chain

ESG Outlook is Sourcing Journal’s discussion series with industry executives to get their take on their company’s latest environmental, social and governance initiatives and their own personal efforts toward sustainability .

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Here, Alison Ward, CEO of CottonConnect discusses how the company benefits retailers and brands by helping deliver a more sustainable cotton supply chain. Founded in 2010, CottonConnect helps global brands source cotton more fairly and sustainably, textile and raw material producers to enjoy better livelihoods, and the voices of rural communities to be heard. CottonConnect has worked with more than 25 high street brands, including C&A, Primark, Mark’s Canada, Amazon, Carrefour and PVH.

Name: Alison Ward
Title: CEO
Company: CottonConnect

What do you consider your company’s best ESG-related achievement over the last 5 years?

Last year, we announced the general availability of our traceability platform, TraceBale. The solution, ten years in the making, builds on our in-depth work with retailers and suppliers to understand what takes place at each stage of the supply chain. TraceBale offers complete farm group to end garment manufacturing traceability. It traces the cotton journey all the way from the farm to tier one suppliers and to garments by connecting with producers along the whole supply chain.

The raw materials and products are tracked through identifiers like QR codes and unique DNA-based markers. Through TraceBale, garment factories can generate QR codes and publish this on the finished product to provide all traceability information upon scanning. Our platform also uses DNA marking technology to add another layer of credibility. Once the DNA marker adheres to the fiber, all the material manufactured from that cotton can be tested at any point in the supply chain. It is how we prove that a specific fiber was used to manufacture the garment, and verify its origins, quality and sustainability criteria.

The platform has mapped the equivalent of 1.4 billion T-shirts and processed more than 1.25 million metric tons of sustainable cotton fiber. By providing full visibility, TraceBale acts as an essential step for brands that are looking to source better materials, be compliant with new legislation, and authenticate sustainability claims to build consumer trust.

What is your company’s latest ESG-related initiative?

We believe in a holistic approach to sustainable cotton supply chains.  One of our current areas of focus is regenerative agriculture and how to share learnings and scale up our training programs with farmers around this.

Regenerative cotton farming is essential to the longevity of our environment and the apparel industry. It goes beyond the idea of ‘do less harm’ to creating a ‘net positive’ outcome for people and the planet. Regenerative agriculture aims to improve soil health and fertility together with protecting water resources and biodiversity.

CottonConnect introduced a REEL Regenerative Code in 2021 and since then we have been testing and refining our approach in cotton communities. The code is a scalable approach driving behavior change in farming practices, supported by a clear code of conduct.

In our pilot village in India the first year of comprehensive training sessions and demonstrations laid the groundwork for a shift in agricultural practices. A preliminary assessment highlights substantial progress. Nearly three-quarters (74.7 percent) of the farmers embraced practices to enhance biodiversity, 10 percent adopted homemade bio-pesticides, 23 percent reduced the use of chemical fertilisers, and 23 percent achieved lower carbon emissions per acre from project farms compared to control farms.

What is the biggest misconception consumers have about sustainability in fashion/accessories?

Many people think sustainability is only for luxury or specialist ethical stores. Sustainability can be mainstreamed and when I joined this sector, I wanted to change the high streets and shopping malls so more people can make sustainable choices more often.

As consumers become more aware of worker conditions and how clothing is produced, how can the industry best spread the word on progress?

Credibility should be at the heart of communicating any sustainability and ethical claims. Consumers are increasingly concerned about worker conditions and how clothing is produced. Equally, they want brands to back their claims with data and verification.

Traceability of cotton through its supply chains is essential to knowing the conditions in which garments are sourced, produced, manufactured and processed.

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Many brands aspire to provide 100 percent traceable cotton in their supply chains by 2030. However, they are limited in their ability to do this without a clear picture of what is happening in their supply chains, and struggle to make informed decisions that will help them achieve their sustainability goals.

Only a third of the top 100 clothing companies track their own supply chains, according to a study from the United Nations Economic Commission. More than two-thirds (69 percent) find the fragmentation and complexity of the global business network a key obstacle.

Cotton goes through multiple processes and can be traded many times and across borders. Raw material production and product manufacturing are generally located in developing countries, with many stages and stakeholders involved before a finished product reaches the store, mostly located in developed countries.

The apparel industry needs to level up its game around textile traceability. It is only by implementing digital tools in combination with on-the-ground training, expert advice and auditing that brands can achieve traceability quickly and at the scale needed. It is an essential step for the industry to build trust and show authentic progress to consumers, not just around workers’ rights and conditions but all aspects of ESG.

What is the apparel industry’s biggest missed opportunity related to securing meaningful change?

The apparel sector is highly fragmented, so it is not uncommon that brands overlook niche but important stakeholders in their supply chains.

Cotton goes through multiple processes and can be traded many times and across many borders. Ginning is a simple but critical mechanical process that links the textile supply chain between the farmer and the spinner. Despite progress in the sector overall, some gins still operate under undesirable working environments that expose their workers to health and safety hazards.

Another example is women cotton farmers. While they play a critical role in textile supply chains, women cotton farmers are frequently overlooked and are disproportionately affected by climate change and restricted by social norms. With our Women in Cotton programs, we help women farmers improve their health and wellbeing, improve gender parity, enhance their rights, and increase their access to the market and finance.

It is important for brands to work with experts who have on-the-ground relationships and insights throughout each stage of the supply chain, ranging from farmers, ginners, and factory owners to trading partners, to understand which stakeholders are overlooked and drive sector-wide change.

What is your personal philosophy on shopping and caring for your clothes?

It’s not just choosing wisely but also choosing styles which are classics and have longevity—so a great pair of jeans, a black polo neck jumper or a crisp white shirt are all staples every year. And of course, a fabulous pair of shoes—a classic that can be reheeled and resoled. In fact, I just rocked out my 20-year-old wedding sandals for a party. I also have a great tailor in my neighborhood who can quickly alter clothes or change buttons to give an outfit a whole new look.

How much do you look into a brand’s social or environmental practices before shopping?

What’s great is that brands are disclosing their sustainability credentials on websites and on labels. While I might be an avid reader, we know that the average consumer pays little attention to this aspect when shopping—the ‘cute shoes’ always win. So, we have to make the ‘cute shoes’ environmentally friendly.

Anything new you are doing to boost sustainability beyond the fashion industry?

My family and I always have cherry tomatoes growing in hanging baskets by the back door ready to pick for a quick salsa. Many years ago, we planted apples trees in the garden and this year looks like a bumper crop for neighbors, friends and family, so there will be ‘vegetable trading’ going on.

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