Cotton news and archive

Aid by Trade Foundation publishes results of independent verifications of CmiA standards

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), known for cotton standards such as Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) and Cotton made in Africa Organic, has once again published its annual aggregated report on the verification and implementation of CmiA. This summarises the results of independent verifications of CmiA standards and thus offers the public...

Business

Aid by Trade Foundation looks back on a successful year 2023

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), known for the cotton standards Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) and Cotton made in Africa Organic, as well as the Good Cashmere Standard and the Regenerative Cotton Standard (RCS), recently published its 2023 annual report. According to the report, the Foundation was once again able to successfully strengthen the...

BackgroundFeatured

What exactly does “regenerative” mean in fashion?

The term “regenerative” is popping up more and more often. But what does it actually mean? And what are regenerative agricultural practices and is there such a thing as regenerative fashion? Many different approaches “‘Regenerative’ is not a defined term,” states Sanne van den Dungen. She is co-founder of Raddis Cotton, an organisation that...

Business

Aid by Trade Foundation expands to India through Regenerative Cotton Standard

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), known for its cotton standards Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) and Cotton made in Africa Organic, expanded its range last year with the Regenerative Cotton Standard (RCS), the first of its kind to explicitly prioritise the knowledge and interests of small-scale farmers. The voluntary standard targets the entire...

Business

FibreTrace partners with Target and Cargill to trace cotton

FibreTrace, the real-time verification solution for fibre integrity and traceability solutions, is partnering with American retail group Target Corp. and Cargill, which supplies food, ingredients, and agricultural solutions to pave the way for real-time verification of US and Brazilian cotton. In a statement, FibreTrace said the innovative...

Fashion

World’s largest fashion brands are using tainted cotton, says investigation

Brazil has long been under scrutiny for deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, but new research from Earthsight shows the destruction of the Cerrado biome, a biodiversity hotspot, has largely escaped notice. While efforts to address the Amazon's plight have seen some progress, deforestation rates in the Cerrado are worsening, driven in part by...

Business |EXCLUSIVE Featured

The Aid by Trade Foundation’s cotton conference: from carbon sequestration to regenerative agriculture and technology

At the annual conference of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) from 11th to 13th March in Mumbai, India, around 100 experts, researchers and specialists from all over the world came together to discuss current challenges and solutions in the field of sustainable cotton and textile production. This year's event focussed on innovative and digital...

Fashion

Swedish researchers created viscose from recycled cotton

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have achieved a breakthrough in textile recycling by developing a technique to produce new viscose from worn-out cotton sheets. Currently, viscose textiles are typically made from forest biomass, and fully recycled viscose is not available. The team's innovative method involves converting complex cotton...

Business |Interview Featured

Aid by Trade Foundation introduces new Regenerative Cotton Standard

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), known for its cotton standards Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) and Cotton made in Africa Organic, has expanded its range to include the Regenerative Cotton Standard (RCS). It intends to offer both textile companies and cotton farmers a holistic new approach to responding to the growing challenges in the cotton...

Business

Better Cotton introduces Traceable Better Cotton

The non-profit organisation Better Cotton has launched a new traceability solution for the fashion and textile industry called Traceable Better Cotton, which has been developed over the course of three years. It will provide visibility of the journey of cotton through the supply chain by logging stakeholder input on the Better Cotton platform....

FashionFeatured

Revolutionising cotton production: Australia's climate-positive initiative

Cotton, a staple of global textiles and the fashion industry, bears a significant carbon footprint, emitting 2-4 tons of CO2 per hectare during production. However, a pioneering venture in Australia is poised to offer a climate-positive solution to cotton cultivation, potentially transforming the landscape for international farmers and supply...

Background |LONG READ

From fibre to garment: the technical 'make-up' of your clothing

In this background piece, we tell you all about the 'technical construction' of your garment. From fibre to garment. We start with the final product, your garment, and go back one step at a time. To the fabrics, the yarns and the fibres/raw materials. We also cover finishing processes. Content • Fabrics (+ finishing processes) • Yarns • Fibres...