Cotton news and archive

Mission for Cotton Productivity: India's strategy to revitalize cotton sector

The Union Cabinet of India, chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, has sanctioned 5,659.22 crore rupees, approximately 598.8 million dollars, for the Mission for Cotton Productivity (MCP). Running from the financial year 2026–27 to 2030–31, the initiative aims to revitalise the national cotton sector by addressing stagnant growth, quality...

Featured

Fashion |Interview

"It always comes down to price:" Liz Hershfield on the real barriers to US cotton

There are countless sustainability initiatives across the global fashion industry, but who is truly driving that transition? Are their efforts visible to the public or not? In this series, we interview changemakers, consultants, sustainability experts, and activists in fashion to see what we can learn from their work. In this edition of...

Member

Business

Under Armour joins US Cotton Trust Protocol

Under Armour has joined the US Cotton Trust Protocol, taking a step forward in efforts to improve transparency and responsibility in cotton sourcing. Through the membership, the sportswear brand will gain access to verified, field-level data on key environmental metrics, including water use, greenhouse gas emissions, soil health and land use....

Featured

Fashion

Etsy bans animal fur as industry sentiments continue to shift

Etsy is set to ban the sale of all animal fur from August 2026, following a 50-plus-day protest campaign by the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT). The global online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods has updated its Animal Products Policy as part of its broader shift in its sustainability pillars and confirmed the changes in a...

Member

Business

Textile Exchange introduces first LCA study on cotton's environmental impact

Textile Exchange has released the first in a new series of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies, aimed at improving the quality and consistency of environmental impact data across the fashion and textile industry. The initial report focuses on cotton, providing updated data across key producing countries and covering a range of systems including...

Culture

Exhibition: “The art of trademark in Indo-British textile trade” sheds light on the forgotten art of textile labels

The first thing you notice is the heat; it is all around, almost palpable. Then there are the sounds, deafening, each vendor trying to shout louder than the next. “Madam, here, here, Kashmiri silk, you won’t find anywhere.” “Come to my stall, please, I will show you the widest range.” Then there are the smells of course, some pleasant like the...

Fashion

H&M Foundation announces Global Change Award 2026 finalists

The H&M Foundation has announced its top 20 finalists for the 2026 Global Change Award (GCA). Selected from 450 ideas submitted from 81 countries across six continents, the innovations from the 20 early-stage finalists are set to be reviewed by the GCA Expert Panel together with the H&M Foundation team. From the 20 finalists, the panel and team...

Fashion

Marks & Spencer launches cotton programme in bid to strengthen biodiverse farming practices

British department store Marks & Spencer has established a new partnership with sustainability innovator Pilio to launch the Affordable Clean Environment (ACE) cotton programme. The initiative intends to broaden access to clean energy and strengthen biodiverse farming practices within Indian cotton-growing communities. Developed as part of Marks...

Member

Business

China eases tariffs on certain textile and leather products

The Chinese government has introduced a reduction to tariffs on certain raw materials, including strategic inputs for textiles and leather, as it looks to bolster its position as a key sourcing hub. The new plan, which came into effect January 1, 2026, was approved by the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council and published by China’s...

FeaturedMember

Business

Could Egypt be the next garment producing hub by 2035?

In the first four months of 2025, Egypt’s readymade garment (RMG) exports reached the milestone of crossing the 1 billion US dollar mark. After food and beverages, the textile and garment industry is the second-largest industrial sector in Egypt today. In 2024, the country’s textile exports grew by almost one fifth (18 percent) to 2.84 billion...

Member

Business

US Cotton Trust Protocol reports “measurable” environmental gains in 2025

The US Cotton Trust Protocol, the voluntary sustainability programme for US cotton growers and the traceability platform for all US Cotton, has released its 2024/25 annual sustainability report, which reveals that more than 1,500 grower members have achieved “meaningful gains” across all six of its sustainability metrics against a 2015 baseline....

FeaturedMember

Business

Better Cotton Initiative rebrands and introduces new traceability label

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) marked World Cotton Day with a comprehensive rebrand and the launch of a new traceability label, underscoring the organisation’s efforts to enhance transparency and accountability across the cotton supply chain. The move includes a redesigned logo, website, and the reinstatement of its original full name, fter...