We are committed to contribute to the improvement of cotton farming practices globally through our membership in the Better Cotton Initiative ((BCI™).
For further information about BCI and it's membership programme refer to https://bettercotton.org/
BCI Cotton is the world’s leading sustainability initiative for cotton.
Their vision is to have a world where all cotton production is sustainable. They aim to help embed sustainable farming practices and policies into cotton production, enhance well-being and economic development for cotton farming communities, and encourage and drive global demand for sustainable cotton.
They have a strong focus on regenerative agriculture, too. Regenerative agriculture says that agriculture, including textile and food production, can give back to the land rather than just take from it. From improving soil health to empowering women in farming decisions, BCI Cotton is putting regenerative agriculture at the heart of its sustainable practices.
Kathmandu sources BCI Cotton via a chain of custody model called mass balance, which means it is not physically traceable to end products. Read below for an explanation of mass balance.
Achieving a world where cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment.
The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) Standard System is a holistic approach to sustainable cotton production which covers all three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic.
The Principles and Criteria of the Standard lay out the global definition of BCI Cotton through six guiding Principles and two Cross-Cutting Priorities, setting forth a continuous improvement pathway towards improved cotton production practices.
Achieving a world where cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment.
The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) Standard System is a holistic approach to sustainable cotton production which covers all three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic.
The Principles and Criteria of the Standard lay out the global definition of BCI Cotton through six guiding Principles and two Cross-Cutting Priorities, setting forth a continuous improvement pathway towards improved cotton production practices.
What is ‘mass balance’?
Mass Balance helps to simplify the complexity of cotton supply chains while still delivering direct benefits to farmers. This is why it’s been so effective at driving demand for sustainable practices worldwide and scaling up our programme. The Better Cotton Initiative aims to improve the cotton sector by supporting the farmers who grow it. This allows the cotton to remain cost-effective to suppliers, increasing the demand for BCI Cotton, and allowing more farmers to reap the benefits. In simpler terms, mass balance is like using a green power company. Green electricity is fed through the power grid along with coal-fired electricity and others. We can't pick what kind of energy we want to come out of our socket, but we raise the demand, and therefore, the availability of renewable energy.
Mass balance provides a flexible sourcing option that increases global demand for BCI Cotton whilst avoiding the complexities and cost of segregated sourcing. Sourcing BCI Cotton means we are supporting their mission and capacity strengthening activities directly through the payment of Volume-Based Fees associated with our sourcing.
Cotton is a huge part of our clothing industry, so it’s important for us to partner with non-profits who are working hard to create a better future for the industry. We’re proud to source BCI Cotton and we look forward to a brighter future with a more robust industry.