Cotton 2040 initiative promotes sustainable cotton in Australia

The Cotton 2040 initiative has been designed by Cotton Australia to drive change in cotton supply chains by taking collaborative cross-industry action so that more sustainable cotton becomes a mainstream commodity. The organisation met the stakeholders across the cotton supply chain in Berlin to progress the work of the Cotton 2040 initiative.

Through Cotton 2040, Cotton Australia is helping to develop a framework and practical tools for brands and retailers to help them solve some of the internal barriers to uptake and more easily source sustainable cotton in their supply chain.

"For cotton to become truly sustainable on a global scale, it requires the coming together of all the cotton identity programs seeking to shift the market for sustainable cotton," said Adam Kay, Cotton Australia CEO. "We must unite around our areas of common ground, and seek a way forward together and Cotton 2040 is providing a forum to do just that."

"Cotton Australia’s participation in Cotton 2040 is part of our continued effort to ensure Australian cotton plays a positive role in global initiatives to improve the industry, particularly as more and more brands and consumers demand environmentally sustainable and ethically produced fibres," added Kay.

“Brands are recognising the significant changes our growers have made on-farm over the past three decades, and they are interested in plans the Australian industry has for continuous improvement into the future. We welcome the opportunity to work with end-users and other cotton identity programs to find ways to increase demand for sustainable cotton globally, in all of its forms," he said.

The Cotton 2040 initiative includes leading retailers Marks and Spencer and Target USA; industry standards; Better Cotton Initiative and Cotton Made in Africa (CMiA), organic standards (represented by Textile Exchange), the Fairtrade Foundation, industry initiatives; Cotton Connect, IDH, Value Added in Africa and Organic Cotton Accelerator as well as the London College of Fashion. Cotton Australia is the only producer group represented.
Cotton 2040 is convened by Forum for the Future, with support from the C&A Foundation.