Bestseller milestone for CmiA cotton
04/10/2024
The brand has switched two key products to the certified organic cotton grown in Africa: its Blush and Power denim jeans that are a part of its NOOS, for Never Out Of Stock, range.
Cotton is the main fibre used by Bestseller brands, accounting for upwards of 40% of the raw materials it uses. But the group points out that a mere 3.2% of global cotton production is organic. Direct-to-farm sourcing, the company said, is its preferred method to support farmers in transitioning from conventional to organic farming.
In the 2023/2024 period, the group said it had sourced nearly 3,400 tonnes of African organic cotton, and supported more than 18,000 cotton farmers, an increase from the 12,000 farmers supported in 2022-23. This, it said, includes some 5,500 in-conversion cotton farmers.
Bestseller has set itself a target of sourcing 30% of its cotton fibre needs from organic or in-conversion cotton by 2025. It said that it is on track to achieve this, thanks to efforts at Only, Jack & Jones and Name It.
“Bestseller‘s increasing demand for CmiA Organic cotton represents a strong commitment to nature protection, supply chain responsibility, and social justice for the farmers in Africa who cultivate CmiA Organic verified cotton,” commented Nina Schöttle, project manager for monitoring, evaluation and learning at the Aid by Trade Foundation.
Photo courtesy of Only
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