Page 28 - November/December-2019

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COTTON USA™ and Oritain™ ink

new partnership for traceability

“This partnership with Oritain will provide COTTON USA with a unique
selling point in both domestic and export markets. Now U.S. cotton

will offer the highest level of end-to-end traceability in the industry,
combined with a raw material that is leading the way in terms of
sustainable practices – two things that global clothing brands now
demand from their suppliers.”

Bruce Atherley. Executive Director. Cotton Council International

COTTON USA™ and Oritain™ have signed a calls the Origin Fingerprint. This is the only way to
partnership to provide industry leading, forensic be absolutely sure of where particular cotton was
verification of origin for all U.S. cotton. A global first grown. Cotton can be tested at any stage on its
for the cotton industry, this collaboration will give journey from farm to shop floor, giving buyers
brands and retailers the assurance they need to complete assurance that the product has not been
make responsible sourcing and purchasing substituted along the way.
decisions.
Guaranteeing origin will address traceability
While this level of traceability is new, the U.S. cotton challenges faced by the global cotton industry,
industry has always strived to produce and deliver including minimizing the risk of supply chain
high quality cotton that is the most sustainable partners blending the product with lower quality
cotton in the world. This ambition is already being fibers. “Global supply chains are incredibly
realized through improved fiber properties, complex and the potential for blending and other
increased productivity and a shrinking illegal activity in the production of cotton textile
environmental footprint. All cotton-producing products is large. However, given that Oritain’s
regions in the U.S. are aiming to further reduce Origin Fingerprint cannot be altered or faked,
greenhouse gas emissions, soil loss, water, energy COTTON USA and their customers can be safe in
and land usage. the knowledge that their product is exactly what it
says it is,” said Hodges.
To achieve the level of traceability that the industry
is demanding, Oritain’s unique method applies This new partnership follows a successful pilot
forensic science to detect trace elements in the program and rigorous blind test for Oritain, during
cotton itself. Soil composition and other which samples were collected across Arkansas,
environmental factors give the cotton an inherent Mississippi, Oklahoma and Tennessee, and
“fingerprint” specific to each location – what Oritain subsequently identified with 100% accuracy.

October/November 2019