Better Cotton officially announces to become a regenerative standard by 2026
Better Cotton, the world’s largest cotton sustainability initiative, has announced a landmark move to become a regenerative standard within the next year. The organization aims to deepen its environmental and social impact by aligning its practices with regenerative principles, which focus on actively restoring ecosystems rather than merely minimizing harm.
The announcement was made at the 2025 Better Cotton Conference in Izmir by Eva Benavidez Clayton, Senior Director of Demand and Engagement at Better Cotton.
It is increasingly clear that we need approaches that don’t simply mitigate or reduce harm, but that actively restore the environment. I am therefore pleased to share that over the next 12 months, Better Cotton will complete the remaining steps to become a regenerative standard.
While Better Cotton’s field level standard is already recognized to cover many of the core tenets of regenerative agriculture, this move will further ensure that farmers who meet our standard are adopting the most commonly agreed regenerative practices.
This is a natural step in line with our commitment to constantly improve our standard, which reflects the latest scientific insight as well as our enduring focus on the economic and social wellbeing of everyone involved in cotton farming.
Eva Benavidez Clayton, Senior Director of Demand and Engagement at Better Cotton.
As part of the transformation, Better Cotton is undertaking key updates, including revising its Principles & Criteria, enhancing support for Programmed Partners, and introducing an outcome-based reporting framework to better measure environmental and social progress.
Industry leaders welcomed the announcement during a panel on regenerative practices at the conference.
Thinking about the impact, particularly for the future of the programme, and how you built that into the regenerative programme, hands up, I think this is great progress, well done for doing it.
Peter Bunce, Head of Cotton at Indigo Ag
Better Cotton showing an interest in owning regenerative agriculture is very positive.
Muzaffer Turgut Kayhan, President of IPUD
The move is expected to reinforce Better Cotton’s position as a leader in sustainable agriculture, pushing the global cotton industry toward more holistic, restorative farming practices.
Download Our Free Magazine
Get Industry Insights, Trends & Latest Innovations in the Textile & Apparel Industry
