Over 100 Textile Companies Now Partnering with Cotton LEADS

By Jim Steadman|March 14, 2014

More than 100 retailers, brands and manufacturers – including Brooks Brothers – have now joined the Cotton LEADS program as partners, as interest in the program continues to grow among textile businesses committed to responsible sourcing.

Launched in October 2013, the Cotton LEADS program continues to resonate with global textile businesses as a supply chain program committed to responsibly-produced cotton. The program – a joint effort of the Australian and United States cotton industries as a project of the Cotton Foundation – emphasizes national capabilities of the cotton industries in those countries, along with their commitment to continual improvement, research and best practices.

Combined, cotton production in Australia and the U.S. accounts for approximately 17 percent of global cotton production.

“The founding members of Cotton LEADS, including Cotton Australia, the National Cotton Council, Cotton Council International and Cotton Incorporated, are gratified that so many businesses around the world recognize the ongoing environmental gains made by cotton growers in Australia and the United States,” said Mark Messura, Cotton Incorporated senior vice president, Global Supply Chain Marketing.

In explaining how the Cotton LEADS program fits into Brooks Brothers’ sourcing needs, Joe Dixon, the company’s senior vice president of Production and Technical Services, said, “Brooks Brothers is enthusiastically committed to sustainable sourcing. Because cotton continues to be a mainstay of Brooks Brothers’ product offerings, we require significant amounts of high quality, responsibly-produced cotton fiber. We look to a range of opportunities that, like the Cotton LEADS program, can demonstrate best practices and reduced environmental impact, and make a commitment to ongoing improvement and traceability.”