Annual Deep Dive Report 2023
Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation
Updated With The Latest Data
Transforming the global cotton industry is not just a data problem, but a partnership problem.
Our latest update to the "Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation" report underscores the importance of a nuanced and localized approach to data collection in fostering better partnerships with cotton farmers. However, it's crucial to recognize that without knowing who the farmers are, it’s challenging to be a better partner to them. While we advocate for dependable data, transparent methodologies, and contextual understanding as essential tools for well-informed decision-making and strategy implementation, the real transformation lies in reshaping the relationships within the industry.
By accurately and trustworthily presenting data, we aim to dispel misinformation and foster a more sophisticated discourse on the global cotton industry's challenges and opportunities.
WEBINAR:
Cotton unspun: Data, context, and the future of sourcing
This panel brings together key experts in the cotton industry to explain the pitfalls of our industry’s current methods of cotton sourcing, and paint a new picture of the way the fashion and apparel industry sources cotton.
You will learn:
The importance of contextual data and its implications
How we can transform our approach to cotton sourcing to become better partners to farmers
After shedding light on the fashion industry's misinformation problem in our 2021 report, "Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation," we are releasing an update with the most current and sound data from ICAC with new data on fertilizers that was previously uncovered.
The aim of this paper is to:
Calls to Actions:
Do your data due diligence
Conduct thorough, localized data analysis with context to inform decisions and ensure ethical production.
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Brands and Suppliers should conduct thorough due diligence versus taking numbers at face value to inform their cotton sourcing decisions and ensure cotton is ethically produced, which requires localised and context-specific data collection and analysis.
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Policy Makers should invest in accurate data collection and analysis methods to inform policy decisions, and ensure that data is regularly updated and publicly accessible.
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NGOs should use accurate and up-to-date data, while going beyond the numbers to speak to the experts on the ground, to inform advocacy efforts and support initiatives that promote sustainable cotton production.
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Media should follow our recommended due diligence measures above to ensure the data they are using in their arguments is credible and reliable while citing the original source, as well as updating articles as data changes over time.
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Brands and Suppliers should work with farmers or cotton intermediaries to collect and disclose data on pesticide and fertilizer use, and make this information publicly available to showcase the accurate impacts of their production, especially as more legislation arises that will legally require brands and retailers to disclose this information. Data use and privacy consent mechanisms should be clearly established.
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Policy Makers could help enact and enforce due diligence and Product Environmental Footprint legislation, as well as help to fund and implement more robust systems for capturing accurate data that will ultimately help brands and retailers meet other legislative requirements, and farmers who release this data achieve higher compensation for their crops.
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NGOs should advocate for more transparency in the cotton supply chain, specifically traceability and disclosure of pesticide and fertilizer use, as well as help to fund these activities. NGOs should also advocate for the reduction of environmental and human impacts associated with the use of these materials. This can be achieved by optimizing resources, such as applying the appropriate quantities of pesticides, fertilizers, and water needed for optimal yields.
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Media should use their resources to help consolidate and advocate for the best available data and fill the data gaps.
Advocate for transparency and disclosure of data
Conduct thorough, localized data analysis with context to inform decisions and ensure ethical production.
Rethink the way we source cotton
Prioritize responsible sourcing, support farmers in adopting sustainable practices, and invest in new technologies.
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Brands and Suppliers should prioritize responsible cotton sourcing and support farmers in adopting sustainable practices. This includes giving farmers better security of contracts, having a vested interest in their success, improved relationships with buyers and intermediaries, a shift in sourcing strategy such that brands and retailers know who their farmers are, and build in-house technical expertise to do so or work with agriculture experts. They should also invest in the development of new technologies to help farmers transition towards responsible cotton production. Most importantly, brands and suppliers should act as a supporter and follower of the real experts, the farmers.
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Policy makers should invest in research and development of sustainable cotton production methods, including water conservation, integrated soil and pest management, and precision fertilization, as well as new technology like robotics, sensors, drones and data analytics. Additionally, policymakers should hold brands and retailers accountable for disclosing the investments they’ve made in their cotton supply chains.
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NGOs can advocate for responsible cotton sourcing and support farmer-led initiatives that promote sustainable and ethical farming practices.
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Media can highlight the importance of sustainable cotton sourcing, how complex cotton production practices and resource use decisions can be, and support the voices of small-scale farmers and community-led initiatives.
A call to all professionals in the fashion industry and its proxies: visit the farm and create relationshipS over transactions.
If you haven’t yet read the original
“Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation”
report from 2021, download the report here ⤵
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Spread the word: let’s unleash the power of our combined network, and share the release of this report with your audiences.
Take the time to read the report and our calls to action to understand what you and your network can do.
Share your feedback and ideas for targeted outreach with the solutions enablers identified in the report. Connect with us hello@transformersfoundation.org. We are working hard with our experts and partners network to enact on our commitments outlined in the report, our doors and ears are open to relevant ideas and feedback that drive coordinated action.
“Transparency and traceability prove authenticity. We envision a future where farmers tabulate the amount of pesticides they use, the amount of water they use, all of the different inputs to compare this with their yield and continue retrieving the stream of data to a product’s end of life. We have been eager to launch this report to provide readers with tools to enable data transparency that will ultimately inform best practice and viable solutions for the health of the planet, the people, and our industry.”
— Andrew Olah, Transformers Foundation Founder.