Page 59 - May-June-2018

58 The Need for Traceability There are a number of commercial, units to the product sold the next actor, such as 59 2. Ginning molecule away™. gen-1, which change according to temperature, The cotton fibers are "fingerprinted" and verified in product bac

technology-based solutions for cotton traceability
fabric, so that the amount “allocated” does not
An inherent

the fields by an independent authority, Oritain.
altitude and precipitation, and ratios of carbon-13 to
Upon arrival at the gin, each module identification is
Reports and Transparency of Cotton These include block-chain systems, software current system does not physically trace Better logged into a database. After ginning, each bale is molecule that bonds tenaciously to fibers at the based on soil conditions, feed consumed and farm chemical parameters that are unique and distinctive
either in development or available to the market now.
exceed the amount “received.” Although BCI’s

carbon-12 or nitrogen-15 to nitrogen-14, which vary
Oritain's scientific technique identifies natural
SigNature T is a custom, botanically-based DNA
labeled with a permanent bale identification tag. A
Cotton through the supply chain, end-to-end tracea-
solutions, and the insertion of traceable fibers and

practice for example, are examined by Oritain.
to the cotton’s environment. This creates a
source. Our fully-automated DNA Mixing and
sample taken from each side of the bale is collected
DNA markers at time of ginning. While these
bility strengthens the credibility of Better Cotton

one-of-a-kind "cotton fingerprint" that travels with
Distribution system ensures that fibers are tagged
and identified with the same number. Samples are
claims made by our retailer and brand members.
products are becoming more readily available, the

each product and is coded and stored in a data-
These specific Isotope ratios among many others
sent to one of ten USDA classing offices.
thoroughly. After tagging and compacting, bales are
reality is that for most brands, cotton traceability

base. It can be tracked from start to finish, forming
yield better results when analyzed by Oritain, further
barcoded so that when a sample of fiber is submit-
Cotton LEADS
remains a largely manual process that relies on the
TM

the most transparent system of supply-chain integrity
adding the approach we take to verify the origin of a
3. Classing
ted for authentication, it can be traced back to a
Cotton LEADS is a program born out of partner-
provision of evidence by people in businesses at
TM

various stages of production.
and measure the fiber properties of each sample. All
have traced the authenticity of your cotton every step
provenance.
tries. The goal: engage and connect businesses
Along with analyzing Isotopes, Oritain also analyses
of the way.
cotton is tested using HVI (high volume instrument)
across the global supply chain with the leading
The following includes the companies that provide ship between the Australian and U.S. cotton indus- Classing offices receive bale samples from the gin particular bale number, providing absolute proof of product. in the textile industry. It’s your guarantee that we businesses

cotton traceability: efforts in sustainable cotton production. methods by the USDA. U.S. cotton quality data is SigNature T DNA tags are designed to be compati- Trace Elements that occur in products via uptake Following are the tagging steps: from many o
available from the USDA database. ble and stable in a wide range of textile substrates from the chemical composition of soils, water and 1. Ginning: Cotton Aust
BCI – Better cotton tracer Cotton LEADS , the traceability test program and manufacturing processes. This secure and feeds. The Trace Elements of a “fingerprint” from Ginning is the separation of cotton from its seeds. businesses
TM
BCI has a traceability system known as the Better launched to raise awareness regarding the responsi- 4. Identification cost-effective solution can help assure quality and products include essential elements sodium, The Wel-Trak process begins here, recording the with and th
Cotton Tracer. The Better Cotton Tracer is used as a ble growing practices among cotton producers in Every bale of cotton that enters the market from the provide forensic-level authentication in fiber, yarn, potassium, zinc, iron (Na, K, Zn, Fe) plus over 35 source and quality of all cotton in our state-of-the-art ensure trac
documentation and verification tool by BCI and BCI the U.S. and Australia, now has more than 100 textile U.S. is labeled with a unique bale identification fabric and finished products. others. database.
business signatories, including Brooks Brothers, number and barcode identifier. The identification 2. Spinning: Traceabilit
Fruit of the Loom and Central Textiles. number identifies the gin, classing office and unique Molecular tagging and authentication helps custom- By collecting samples of your product we analyses Spinning is the twisting together of cotton fiber to The relevan
bale. ers: both Stable Isotopes and Trace Elements which are form yarn. Wel-Trak tags every yarn pallet, identifying
1. Build trust and credibility then run through our unique statistical models to the types of cotton used and the processes OEKO-TEX®
5. Warehouse 2. Protect reputation and intellectual property determine the products origin. deployed. The popular
After ginning and classing, cotton bales are ware- 3. Assist quality control and assurance efforts 3. Weaving: tially in r
housed and ready for purchase. Cotton purchases 4. Comply with applicable laws The method uses statistical models to determine a Weaving interlaces yarn to form fabric. Wel-Trak tags worried abo
stakeholders involved in sourcing cotton as Better and sales are typically managed by merchants, as 5. Promote legal enforceability of transactions chemical fingerprint of origin and tests samples and monitors the fabric as it is woven. substances
Cotton. The Better Cotton Tracer is the most As sustainability becomes more seamlessly integrat- well as cooperatives. Spinning mills have the ability 6. Minimize losses by reducing illegal activity against this specification. A decision limit is based 4. Finishing: customers a
widely-used and the only end-to-end traceability ed into the cotton supply chain, programs like to trace bales back to their origin and can access 7. Monitor and verify supply chain on a suitable confidence interval of this specification Finishing improves appearance, feel, performance,
The traceability of raw materials through cotton and application of products, parts and materials to system of its kind in the cotton industry. Any ginner, Cotton LEADS assist businesses in achieving their data on each bale. to determine ‘consistent’ or ‘inconsistent’ with a and durability. Wel-Trak meticulously scans and
supply chains has become a very important issue for ensure the reliability of sustainability claims, in the merchant, supplier, agent or retailer can use our sustainability goals. SigNature T Oritain claimed origin. The choice of this decision limit is records every fabric roll.
brands and retailers wanting greater levels of areas of human rights, labor (including health and system no matter where they are located in the world Backed by the power of forensic science, SigNa- Oritain can monitor supply chain to provide reassur- based around maximizing the True Positive Rate (the 5. Cut and Sew:
visibility around where products originate. It’s a fast safety), the environment and anti-corruption. As part for any Better Cotton-related raw material or finished The apparel industry should note that while just 33 ture® T molecular tags can be applied at the gin, ance about the integrity of products. It can test the percentage of genuine samples that are correctly Cut & Sew is where fabric is turned into a product.
evolving area that has proved a challenge for many of ensuring traceability and transparency, supply product: from seed cotton to t-shirts. It is simple, percent of consumers seek out environmentally allowing for cotton to be tracked and authenticated fiber at any stage of manufacture to check it is classified as ‘consistent’) and lowering the corre- Wel-Trak registers, records, and tags every product
commodities, including cotton. chain mapping is an important exercise to track lean and user-friendly, which are the keys for devel- friendly clothes for themselves, 69 percent would be sponding False Positive Rate of tested samples (the with a QR code which provides information about the
down the various modes in the chain till the very last oping a system that could be used by a ginner in bothered if they found out they purchased some- percentage of genuine samples that are incorrectly cotton source.
Transparency in supply chains becomes a major node of the cotton farming region from where the Africa, a supplier in Turkey or a retailer in San thing that wasn’t produced sustainably, according to classified as ‘Inconsistent’). Due to the nature of 6. Pack and Ship: for that ex
challenge for brands aiming to implement cotton for the apparel comes. Despite understanding Francisco with equal ease. the Cotton Incorporated 2013 Environment Survey. chemical analysis and statistics, the models Pack & Ship is how a product gets to its destination. organic pro
sustainability at every level. Traceability has become these issues, not many companies have taken And 40 percent would hold the manufacturer respon- deployed by Oritain have associated error rates Wel-Trak records every product as it begins its verifiable
a larger concern as high profile incidents have come action, perhaps because of lack of easy availability End-to-end traceability simplifies the administrative sible, followed by the brand or store (20%), and (False Positive / False Negative). Oritain adopts journey to homes like yours. helps compa
to light, demonstrating that many companies are of traceability technology. process for Better Cotton sourcing, particularly for themselves (12%). multiple processes to reduce these errors and 7. Retail: easily test
unable to track where their products come from: retailer and brand members who drive Better Cotton throughout the entire supply chain, from the raw fiber consistent with where it claims to be from. always ensures an emphasis is placed on achieving Look for the Wel-Trak logo on cotton sheets and (geneticall
much less who created them, the conditions under Brands and retailers are increasingly expected to uptake. Having an end-to-end traceability system The Cotton LEADS program is validated by the stage all the way to the retail shelf. SigNature T a high correct classification of True Positives. The towels in stores to rest assured that the cotton is indicator o
which they were created in and the impact on the understand their supply chains, and be transparent allows BCI retailer and brand members to receive national-level oversight, regulatory enforcement, and tagging protects the cotton supply chain by provid- A products' origin can be identified using 'finger- specifics of these error rates will be disclosed to the authentic. meet a fund
environment. Awareness of where the product about where products are being made right back to documentation and information about the volume of transparency practices that are common to both the ing assurance of quality and provenance, and helps prints' derived from the chemical compositions of Client following the completion of work and a
comes from becomes an important first step to raw material production. Traceability is very Better Cotton they source electronically. Added U.S. and Australia. Combined, the two countries brands guarantee label claims with certainty. plants and animals. These compounds vary naturally statement of Fit for Purpose by Oritain. Australian Cotton To qualify
initiate any kind of intervention to improve the important and that company shareholders and simplicity for BCI’s members helps to support our account for about 17 percent of global cotton throughout the environment. Australia can trace a bale of cotton back to the field cotton must
livelihoods of farmers growing their cotton. Moreover, consumers increasingly want assurances that mission of establishing Better Cotton as a responsi- production. For Pima fiber (genetically known as G. Wel-Trak Promise in which it was grown, but beyond the spinning mill governing t
sustainable processes must be used to convert this on-product claims about branded cotton can be ble mainstream solution. barbadense), we also conduct “fiberTyping” of the Ratios of stable Isotopes (non-radioactive atoms of Wel-Trak traces your cotton’s journey, so that you traceability for Australian cotton becomes more tion of the
cotton into quality textile and garments. properly verified. The ability to verify claims that your Cotton LEADS tagging test and tagging process: fibers to confirm they are truly Pima based on our the same element that contain different numbers of can guarantee the purity and authenticity of the complex as the fiber is often blended with cotton cotton plan
TM
product has been made with branded cotton is The Better Cotton Tracer records how much Better 1. Harvesting neutrons such as nitrogen, carbon and many others) products you purchase. Rest assured that cotton from other countries. While Cotton Australia can
According to the United Nations Global Compact (a important for brand protection and risk Cotton is sourced by any user in the supply chain. Harvested cotton is formed into large rectangular or patented DNA test. Responsible sourcing eliminates are indicative of different regions. Typically ratios of grown on our farms meets your environmental, assist with traceability from the farm to the spinning New GMO tes
issues facing the textile industry, such as conflict
UN body that has committed to implement universal management, for your brand cotton. Actors in the supply chain record the number of round units called modules. Each module is identi- cotton and fiber substitution. Certainty is only a oxygen-18 to oxygen-16 or hydrogen-2 to hygro- ethical, and quality standards — and has been mill, it’s the brand’s responsibility to establish the
sustainability principles), traceability is the ability to Better Cotton Claim Units (BCCUs) they received fied by a module identification tag, allowing the gin verified with Wel-Trak at every step. traceability for Australian cotton supply chains from
identify and trace the history, distribution, location Technology-based solutions for cotton traceability with a product, such as yarn, and allocate these to link a module to the location where it was grown.
May/June 2018 May/June 2018