Mango is making advances in sustainability and for the first time will use regenerative cotton in products on sale in 2024

Mango, one of Europe’s leading fashion groups, is moving forward in its journey towards sustainability and, for the first time, will use cotton originating from regenerative agriculture in products on sale next year. To achieve this, the company has joined forces with Materra, a British-Indian company which specialises in designing solutions for growing and sourcing future-proof cotton, including regenerative cotton, in order to move towards a fashion industry that is more respectful to the environment and people.

Thanks to the inclusion of this type of fibre in its collection, Mango has reached a milestone in its sustainability strategy by using, for the first time, cotton that has been cultivated using sustainable agricultural practices with a positive environmental impact for the region and biodiversity.

In addition, Mango will, for the first time, have complete traceability of its cotton value chain, from seed to garment. To achieve this, farmers in India will collect soil and crop data via Materra’s digital platform, called Co:Farm, that will provide unprecedent levels of transparency and allow Mango to monitor the evolution of indicators such as fertility, soil health, number of nutrients, use of water, machinery and pesticides, size of the plot used, among others.

“As a global fashion company, we have a clear goal: to help create a fairer society and reduce the impact of the fashion industry on the environment. This is why we have joined forces with key partners like Materra, who will help us move more quickly to ensure that 100% of the fibres we use are sustainable by 2030. The product is at the heart of Mango and sustainability has been part of our DNA for over 20 years. For this reason we want to continue inspiring the world through collections that are responsible our environment”, Andrés Fernández, Mango’s Sustainability and Sourcing Director, explains.

Cotton is currently the natural fibre used most by the fashion industry. Fibres originating from regenerative agriculture have a positive impact on both the environment and the farmers growing it given its contextual, outcomes-based approach, founded on the principles of restoring biodiversity, reducing resource usage (including the use of synthetic inputs) and raising farmer livelihoods and wellbeing. Additionally, having outcomes-based incentives and long-term risk-sharing partnerships help support farmers transitioning to regenerative practices. 

Based in London (UK) and Ahmedabad (India), Materra helps farmers implement a climate-resilient system for growing cotton. The company designs custom growing and sourcing programs, as well as mobile/web applications providing agronomy support to farmers while collecting live Tier-4 impact data in the process, thereby giving brands the opportunity to access truly traceable raw materials.

More sustainable fibres, key to Mango’s sustainability

The commitment to include more sustainable fibres and more responsible processes is a key strategic pillar of Mango’s value proposal. In early 2023, the company launched its first denim collection designed using circularity criteria, to allow the reuse and recycling of its garments after their useful life, in this way promoting a second life for the product. The same year, celebrating World Ocean Day, Mango also joined forces with Pyratex, a Spanish textile supplier that specialises in innovative fabrics, to market a solidarity outfit made from a mixture of seaweed, wood cellulose and cotton.

All these initiatives are part of Mango’s sustainability strategy, Sustainable Vision 2030, based on three key policies, Committed to the Product, Committed to the Planet and Committed to People, in line with its brand values. One of the aims of these strategic policies is to move towards an increasingly more sustainable product and collection, reduce its impact on the planet and work towards the full transparency and traceability of its supply chain.

Sustainable Vision 2030 defines the group’s commitment to the long-term creation of value and sustainable management through policies. This strategy is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact, as well as the international strategies and targets established by initiatives such as the Fashion Pact and the International Accord.