Levi Strauss & Co has started sourcing organic cotton directly from 2000 Pakistani farmers cultivating cotton in the Kohlu region of Balochistan.
The denim giant is procuring cotton through Pakistani denim mill Artistic Milliners’ which runs the Milliner Organic programme in Kohlu. Levi’s says that the organic cotton that it is procuring would still be a small part of its total cotton use. However, it could be expanded if the experiment proves successful.
Milliner Organic farms have been accredited by the Control Union Pakistan. The organic project is also supported by WWF-Pakistan and the government of Balochistan. Though the target is to involve 2000 farmers it has so far reached 1600 farmers who were supplied organic cotton seed along with training and support.
Levi’s joined the Organic Cotton Accelerator last year, declaring it its responsibility to support sustainable agriculture practices. Sourced said that this project can secure organic cotton directly from the farmers. The project supported them in increasing their yields besides other facilitations.
Organic cotton farming and the support that farmers get will also help address the impacts of climate change. Practice that supports soil health is the key after the 2022 monsoon flooding in Pakistan.
A portion of the organic cotton sourced from Milliner Organic farms will flow directly into the supply chain. This maps our product’s journey from farm to fashion with blockchain-enabled traceability. He said transparency is vital to raising the bar in collaboration with our partners.
