Better Cotton Initiative marks milestone with over 50% of cotton now traceable in fashion supply chains
Two years after launching its traceability solution, the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has made a significant impact on the fashion and textile industry. Over 50% of BCI Cotton volumes entering global supply chains are now traceable, with cotton sourced from 15 countries.
Since its rollout in November 2023, BCI Traceability has seen rapid growth, with more than 60 retailers and brands now sourcing traceable BCI Cotton, known as Physical BCI Cotton. Seventeen of these companies have already received products containing Physical BCI Cotton, showing clear market acceptance and demand for traceability in cotton sourcing.
Jacky Broomhead, Director of Traceability at the Better Cotton Initiative, emphasized that traceable cotton has become essential for the textile industry. “The complexity of textile supply chains, combined with increased legislation, makes traceability non-negotiable. To continue delivering on our mission to support cotton farmers worldwide and ensure they can access key markets, we needed to make BCI Cotton traceable,” Broomhead explained.
In just two years, over 23,000 metric tonnes (MT) of Physical BCI Cotton have been traced, a substantial increase from 90 MT by November 2024. This milestone represents enough cotton to produce more than 127 million 100% cotton t-shirts, highlighting the scale of BCI’s success in integrating traceability into the global cotton supply chain.
Expansion and Collaboration
The BCI Traceability solution has expanded to countries such as Australia and Brazil over the past year, and the number of BCI Supplier and Manufacturer Members aligned with the Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard has grown from 700 in 2024 to over 2,000. These companies ensure the integrity of the traceability system by handling Physical BCI Cotton according to strict guidelines.
Broomhead added, “Making traceability accessible and inclusive of all BCI farmers has been a key goal. This achievement has been possible through the collaborative efforts of our retailer and supplier community, who helped develop the solution and now source Physical BCI Cotton.”
The continued success of BCI Traceability is essential for the launch of the organization’s new product label. This label, available to BCI Retailer and Brand Members, allows companies to proudly claim that their products contain Physical BCI Cotton, certified by a third-party body and traced from its country of origin. The introduction of this label, along with third-party certification, offers consumers reassurance about the transparency of the supply chain, while boosting the credibility of retailers and brands that use traceable cotton.
