Better cotton initiative (BCI): what does it consist of?

Founded in 2005 by a consortium of businesses and nongovernmental organizations, Better Cotton Initiative is the world's largest NPO that aims to establish a globally valid standard to grarantee more sustainable cotton farming. 

To achieve this mission, BCI-licensed growers (i.e., 2.3 million from 23 countries on five continents) are trained to implement more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable production practices. This means using water more efficiently, minimizing the use of chemicals and the negative effects of pesticides, and improving the living conditions and economic development of cotton farmers. 

The cultivation of BCI cotton takes place separately from that of conventional cotton. After harvesting and ginning, so-called "Better Cotton" bales are obtained and absorbed into the market by BCI members, which can be tracked through a system that calculates the mass balance along the production and supply chain. 

The work of the Better Cotton Initiative is based on the commitment of a large and robust membership consisting of individuals and organizations spanning the entire global cotton supply chain, ranging from farmer organizations to textile and fashion brands, and together addressing the negative impacts of traditional cotton production by advocating the production and sourcing of a cotton grown in line with Better Cotton principles and criteria. 

Members are represented by a Council, whose role is to ensure that BCI has clear strategic direction and appropriate policy to successfully fulfill its mission. It includes civil society organizations (PAN UK, Solidaridad), brands and retailers (Levi Strauss & Co, Adidas, Hennes & Mauritz), manufacturers (Cotton Australia, Supima), suppliers (Anandi, Basil Commodities Pvt. Ltd.) and autonomous (Joost Oorthuizen, Amit Shah).

The Better cotton standard system

The Better Cotton Standard System (BCSS) is a holistic approach to more sustainable cotton production that covers all three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. These pillars are represented by six key points, which are essential to sustain the credibility of Better Cotton and the BCI.

1. Production Principles and Criteria, which aim to provide a comprehensive definition of "Better Cotton" through 6 key principles.

Better Cotton is produced by farmers who: 

• minimize the harmful impact of crop protection practices;use water efficiently and take care of water availability;
• take care of soil health;
• conserve natural habitats;
• take care of and preserve fiber quality;
• they promote decent work.

1. Knowledge building, apt to support and train farmers in the cultivation of Better Cotton, through work with experienced partners in the field;
2. Assurance program, which involves regular evaluation of the farm and measurement of results through consistent outcome indicators;
3. Chain of Custody, whose task is to link supply and demand in the Better Cotton supply chain. "Chain of custody" refers to the documentation, or time track, that shows the order of ownership in the Better Cotton supply chain, and is the key mechanism for determining authenticity;
4. Claims Framework, whereby awareness of Better Cotton use is spread by communicating data, information and stories from the field.
5. Results and Impact, which are the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to measure progress and change to ensure that Better Cotton is making the desired impact.

What the BCI logo means and what are the requirements for its use

BCI members have the option of using product packaging as a toolto communicate to consumers their commitment to more sustainable cotton production. 

The BCI logo on the packaging tells consumers that the product inside is majority cotton and was purchased from a brand or retailer that is committed to sourcing Better Cotton and investing in training BCI farmers.

Only BCI members can use the certified mark on a product, but under one condition: each member is required to purchase at least 10 percent of their cotton as Better Cotton, with a goal of purchasing at least 50 percent within five years. The BCI works closely with its members to verify their credibility and that their commitment is indeed in line with the program.

The concept of mass-balance: a benefit or a risk?

BCI works with control and traceability according to a principle called mass-balance, which consists of keeping track of the total global volume of Better Cotton, allowing it to be substituted or blended with conventional cotton as long as equivalent volumes are purchased as Better Cotton.

For example, if a retailer places an order for finished garments to which it requires a metric ton of Better Cotton to be associated, a BCI-licensed cotton farmer will be required to produce an equivalent amount of cotton while complying with the Better Cotton Standard System. This is then recorded in the supply chain system, transferring credits (the volumes of Better Cotton ordered by BCI membership brands or retailers) from one factory to another. What results is the equivalent amount of cotton that the farmer has produced as Better Cotton, but which has been mixed with conventional cotton on its journey from field to final product. 

This process requires less time and money along the supply chain than would be required to physically track the raw material. BCI operates with an educational and humanitarian purpose first and foremost: a less rigid traceability process allows it to be managed more easily and with less cost, so that it can reach more cotton farmers and thus encourage increased demand for Better Cotton from companies. However, less traceability in no way guarantees the presence of certified material in every final product.

Following criticism of this system by some companies, as well as concerns raised in the media over alleged allegations of forced labor in China's Xinjiang region, which supplies more than one-fifth of the world's cotton, BCI revealed that it plans to develop a new system by 2022 that can offer full physical traceability of its cotton. 

BCI's position regarding Xinjiang Cotton

After receiving several complaints from suppliers and consumers about ignoring quality control of its products, as well as labor exploitation problems in some countries, BCI announced in March 2020 that it would suspend its operations in the Xinjiang region for the 2020/2021 season, assigning an expert to document the situation in western China and continuing to ensure its support for local farmers throughout the period. 

China's response was not long in coming: an attempt to counter accusations of forced labor surrounding the country's cotton industry resulted in a boycott of Western brands, only to pay off with the removal of a key statement from BCI's webpage. According to the organization, the article was reportedly no longer visible as its site came under repeated cyber attacks.

Differences with other certifications on cotton

There are many certifications and affiliate programs related to organic cotton, and in addition to the Better Cotton Initiative, the most widely used worldwide are undoubtedly the Global Organic Textile Standard and the Organic Cotton Standard. 

As we have seen previously, despite the latest statements regarding traceability of raw materials, the BCI is not a certification designed to follow the product from cultivation to its final stage, unlike GOTS and OCS.

Unlike the BCI, the Global Organic Textile Standard also has a protocol with very strict criteria to ensure that the environment is protected from the production processes of chemical and textile companies and does not allow the use of either GMOs or pesticides. 

The OCS standard applies to all textile manufacturing processes, but is less strict than GOTS on compliance with social regulations and the use of chemicals. 

As for agricultural areas, the Better Cotton Initiative maintains them through a combined system of artificial irrigation and rainwater recovery, while the Global Organic Textile Standard and the Organic Cotton Standard prefer to use rainwater (75-80%). On the other hand, organic farming in cotton cultivation covers just 0.87 percent of total cotton production, thus implying the need to use other systems. BCI therefore allows for an increase in supply.

The options available, then, are diverse and each with pros and cons.

Cikis helps select the types of materials and standards best suited to individual companies' objectives, together identifying the benefits and risks of each option so that more informed choices can be made.