US-based global non-profit Textile Exchange recently released the 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge report.
The purpose of the 2025 Challenge is to raise the uptake of organic and preferred cotton, which can increase smallholder farmers’ income, eliminate hazardous pesticides, reduce the use of water, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, and improve water quality and soil health.
The Challenge was formed in 2017 when His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales convened a group of chief executive officers (CEOs) through the work of his International Sustainability Unit that existed to address critical challenges facing the world.
Those original 13 CEOs committed to working together to accelerate the use of sustainable cotton, which paved the way for other industry leaders to follow, resulting in 82 companies now committed to sourcing 100 per cent sustainable cotton by 2025.
The Challenge serves as a cornerstone for change in the apparel and textile industry by encouraging brands and retailers to commit to source cent per cent of their cotton from the most sustainable sources by 2025, a press release from Textile Exchange said.
Today, 22 per cent of the world’s cotton is more sustainable.
By 2025, it is the vision of the 2025 Challenge that more than 50 per cent of the world’s cotton is converted to more sustainable growing methods.
While 27.5 per cent signatories of the 2025 Challenge has achieved their 2025 target of 100 per cent preferred cotton usage, all of which are organic, the same percentage has achieved a preferred cotton share of between 75 per cent and 99 per cent.
A quarter has achieved a preferred cotton share of between 50-74 per cent, while 15 per cent has achieved a preferred cotton share of in the range 25-49 per cent.
