Transformers updates its ‘cotton misinformation’ findings
US denim and apparel innovation platform Transformers Foundation has issued an official update to its Cotton: a case study in misinformation report from 2021.
The document’s 2.0 version notably draws from the best available data from the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), including 2020 figures for water and pesticide use, plus fertiliser use data for the first time. Previously, ICAC's data was largely based on 2019 findings.
The report also pulls from the latest information relevant to textiles held by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States (FAO) and Bayer Crop Science.
Its author, Ani Wells, a sustainable fashion consultant and the foundation's communications director, underlined what she called the industry’s current “partnership problem”, which she suggests can be traced back to the current ‘invisibility’ of farmers and other growers.
“Our mission transcends data dissemination,” she said. “It’s about cotton sourcing, celebrating the role of individual farmers, and fostering genuine partnerships.
“We want stakeholders to form meaningful ties with their raw material providers, delving deeper into local realities beyond mere statistics. This is the key to championing the farmers who are tacking the pressing environmental and ethical challenges head-on.”
Download the report here.
