Better Cotton opens consultation on updated standards amid growing complaints

Cotton sustainability initiative Better Cotton has launched consultations to update its standard system, after complaints about its activities more than doubled between 2023 and 2024.

The nonprofit is revising its Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard – auditable requirements for those selling or buying cotton supply produced more sustainably according to its guidelines – as well as its Claims Framework – which governs how initiative members and certified organisations can make credible claims about the cotton they purchase.

Both of these documents, open for consultation until November 20, 2024, form part of the Better Cotton Standard System. Their revision is a step on the way to turning Better Cotton into a certification scheme valid under recent EU laws, whereby all certification decisions are made by an independent third party.

“This approach, which places emphasis on the use of third parties to conduct assessments and make certification decisions, complements our existing assurance processes by adding a layer of independence and credibility,” CEO Alan McClay commented on the transition.

Once it becomes a certification initiative, Better Cotton will create a product label to allow retailers and brands buying its cotton to “showcase their commitment to sustainable cotton production”, he added.

Complaints have doubled over the past year

The nonprofit's annual report reveals that it received 65 complaints in the year to March 2024 – up from 32 the previous year. Complaints can cover anything relating to Better Cotton and its activities, including concerns about third parties with a direct relationship with the scheme. 

In April 2024, an investigation by NGO Earthsight found that cotton purchased through the initiative and used in H&M and Zara garments was linked to deforestation and land grabbing in the Brazilian Cerrado.

The report’s authors noted that Better Cotton had been “repeatedly accused of greenwashing and criticised for failing to allow for full traceability of supply chains.”

At the time, Zara owner Inditex sent a letter to the CEO of Better Cotton to demand more transparency, adding that “the trust that we place in such processes developed by independent organisations, such as yours, is key to our supply chain control strategy”. 

Better Cotton audit of Brazilian cotton farming

In response, Better Cotton requested an independent audit of the allegations, which confirmed that three of the farms mentioned in the Earthsight report were licensed to sell Better Cotton during the timeframe of the investigation, but were “not in breach of the Better Cotton Standard”.

However, auditors recommended a strengthening of the standards of Better Cotton’s responsible cotton partner in Brazil, ABR, particularly around land use law and change, biodiversity conservation and community impact – in line with the latest iteration of Better Cotton’s own standard. 

“Our latest version of the Better Cotton Standard is the toughest yet and demonstrates that we are committed to bringing the cotton industry on a journey of continuous improvement. This is designed to set out our core requirements for acceptable farm-level practice,” said McClay at the time.