ICA Preview: An Update on BCI Activities

By Jim.Robinson|October 5, 2011

1. Please provide a brief description of your presentation and what information it will contain.
I will talk about the Better Cotton Initiative, sketching briefly the factors that led to its creation, and describe both our approach and our philosophy. I will describe our membership, how we work with members, and what the main value of BCI is for them. I will share what we’ve learned from our first harvest and our ideas/plans for going forward.

2. How does your presentation fit into this year’s ICA theme of “Moving Forward”?
One of the tenets of the BCI approach is that learning is fundamental to moving forward. No one has all the answers for the complex issues facing the cotton industry. In fact, like most complex situations, getting the answers will likely be a long-term process of trial and error and regular reassessment — in short, taking a learning, dynamic approach to tackling the issues. But, as should be obvious, we don’t have an alternative. If we wait, it will be too late for many of the critical factors facing the industry: water depletion, adequate access to arable land, and public perception. The hardest part of any journey is the start. By moving forward, even stumbling forward, we are creating motion, which in turn can create change.

3. Looking forward to the coming year, what do you think the top trends in cotton and textiles will be?

Increased pressure on the part of retailers and brands to communicate to consumers what they are doing to source responsible cotton.
A greater effort on the part of retailers and brands to understand their cotton supply chain and achieve improved traceability.
A move toward greater coordination within the cotton sector, in order to address the challenges the industry is facing — especially those of long-term sustainability.