The Sustainable Cotton Hub seeks to lay out the sustainability challenges in cotton production, looking at economic, social and environmental sustainability factors through a series of papers.

Our first paper in June 2023 was on Corporate Responsibility in the cotton sector. The Cotton and Climate Paper was published on 23 November 2023. More Papers on inequality and biodiversity are planned in 2024.

The Papers are accompanied by concrete recommendations for the various actors across the cotton value chain, offering realistic ways forward to make a real change.

 

The root cause of unsustainability in the cotton sector is a lack of investment in producers. The solution is in the hands of retailers and brands. Sourcing 100% of cotton from certified sources is a bare minimum that too many companies are failing to achieve.

Only 13 of the 100 largest cotton-sourcing companies in the world are found to be doing the bare minimum of sourcing 99% or more of their cotton from certified sources. All other companies are failing to achieve even this bare minimum, with 30 companies scoring zero.

The fashion industry is undermining the potential of sustainable cotton for farmers and the environment by relying on uncertified cotton and synthetic fibres, finds the latest Cotton Rankings published by Solidaridad and Good On You. The 2025 Rankings covering the cotton sourcing of the top 100 fashion brands, also reveals that the fashion industry still lacks transparency on their purchasing practices.