Fashion giant Levi Strauss & Co has joined the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) initiative to increase the industry’s uptake of more sustainable cotton. The company said that it had a responsibility to support sustainable agriculture practices as cotton was the main material in a large proportion of its products.
“We are proud to join Organic Cotton Accelerator because for the first time, we’ll be able to source direct from organic cotton farmers and work with others to identify scalable solutions for the industry,” said Jeffrey Hogue, Levi’s chief sustainability officer.
“Organic Cotton Accelerator is unique in that it unites the global organic cotton sector. It enables measurable improvements to farmers’ livelihoods and local communities, creating conditions for change.
“This partnership strengthens our strategy to source more sustainable cotton for our products and provides new opportunities to solve the challenge facing our industry.”
Levi’s said that, as a contributor to OCA, it aimed to create a pipeline for organic cotton for its products, while contributing to improving farmer livelihoods.
The company hopes the collaboration will help deliver its long-term sustainability goals and vision to have a positive impact on the apparel industry and the planet.
OCA executive director Bart Vollaard commented: “Levi Strauss & Co has a deep commitment to sustainability and innovation, demonstrated by the pioneering of sustainable solutions for their denim.
“We’re incredibly proud to welcome them as a contributor to support organic cotton farming, taking care of the people who grow cotton and the land on which it grows to secure its future.”
The OCA recently revealed that its network of organic cotton farmers has grown from around 22,000 to nearly 80,000 in just one year. It works with brands and retailers who encourage cotton farmers to produce organically by paying a premium for their crops, and with farmers in areas such as training and seeds.
