Better Cotton Initiative

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is a non-profit, multistakeholder governance group that promotes better standards in cotton farming and practices across 21 countries. As of 2017, Better Cotton accounts for 14% of global cotton production. In the 2016-2017 cotton season, 1.3 million licensed BCI Farmers produced 3.3 million metric tonnes of Better Cotton lint, enabling a record-level of more sustainably produced cotton to enter the global supply chain. Partner retailers include H&M, Gap, IKEA, and Levi Strauss, and include funding partners from USAID. At the end of 2017, BCI had 1,197 members – 85 retailer and brand members, 1,039 supplier and manufacturer members, 32 producer organisation members, 31 civil society members and 12 associate members. BCI contributes towards the UN's goals to achieve better global water sustainability and sustainable agriculture. BCI farmers receive training on how to use water efficiently, care for the health of the soil and natural habitats, minimise the impact of harmful crop protection practices, preserve fibre quality and apply decent work principles. BCI also promotes the use of better irrigation practices with farmers, as well as reducing the use of fertilizers. Some examples point to a 40% reduction in water use by farmers in Pakistan and farmers in India cutting water use by half. BCI is currently the only notable sustainability standard in the cotton sector that allows farmers to grow genetically modified cotton. Some similar conservation efforts for cotton farming practices include Bayer's CropScience’s e3 sustainable cotton program. Definition BCI's "global definition" describes "better cotton" in terms of the behaviours of better cotton farmers: Better Cotton is produced by farmers who: minimise the harmful impact of crop protection practices use water efficiently and care for availability of water care for the health of the soil conserve natural habitats care for and preserve the quality of the fibre promote Decent Work.