BCI retailer and brands including Hennes & Mauritz AB, IKEA Supply AG, Gap Inc., adidas AG, and Nike Inc. sourced 45 per cent more Better Cotton in 2018 than in 2017. This enabled BCI to invest in training and support for an increased number of farmers.
In the 2017-18 cotton season, the organisation along with its 69 on-the-ground partners trained two million cotton farmers in 21 countries on sustainable agricultural practices. This drove the volume of more sustainably produced cotton available on the global market to a new level.
By 2020, BCI aims to train 5 million cotton farmers in adopting more sustainable agricultural practices and improving their livelihoods. To achieve this, it will focus on the diverse social, environmental and economic challenges faced by cotton farmers around the world, from drought in Australia to flooding in China and gender equality in Pakistan.
