The Milliner Organic Cotton project between supplier Artistic Milliners, more than 2,000 farmers and brands and retailers ensures the traceability of organic cotton from farm to finished garment and works with a “direct-to-farm” approach that not just focused on securing the cotton supply: by training farmers and improving their livelihoods, the approach benefits the entire community.
The project was launched a year ago and the first crops from organic farms in Kohlu, Balochistan are now being harvested. The Kohlu production has already met the strict requirements of the control association to be certified as transitional cotton, i.e. cotton that is grown during the up to three-year transition period from conventional to certified organic cultivation. Danish fashion group Bestseller A/S and its brand Jack & Jones will be among the first to use this crop for the brand’s December 2022 denim collection.
Jack & Jones starts with 200,000 pairs of jeans
“We are constantly looking for improvements and innovations in terms of sustainability and transparency in our jeans. This project fits very well with our mindset and is just the beginning of a more transparent and holistic supply chain. We expect to be able to produce 200,000 jeans from the first crop and increase this number in the coming seasons,” says Mikkel Hochrein Albrektsen, Creative Buying Manager at Jack & Jones, in a statement.
“This is truly an amazing result at such an early stage of the project. We can really see the importance of focusing on a direct approach that ultimately aims to take cotton production to the next level. Not just in terms of traceability and access to organic cotton, but also in terms of the livelihoods and well-being of farmers and their communities. It’s definitely not easy, but it’s the way forward,” added Danique Lodewijks, Senior Project Specialist at Bestseller Sustainability.
The participating farmers were taught about organic cotton cultivation and the processing of organic pesticides. As a result, their cotton yields are better, as are the yields of subsequent crops.
“With the help of the WWF and the field supervisors who visited my farm weekly, I was supported throughout the process from sowing to harvest. My yield has improved significantly compared to the last few years and at the same time organic cotton is environmentally friendly and good for our health. After the cotton harvest, I planted wheat and my land is producing better crops than ever,” confirms farmer Haji Bangul from Kohlu, whose family has been farming for generations.
The direct sourcing model helps create a secure market and premium payment for farmers. In this way, it is also possible to learn where the raw materials come from and which communities grow them, the impact of the investment and how pre-financing the seeds has helped.
“This season’s harvest is the first of many to come from the Milliner Cotton Organic Project. As I said before, this will transform the cotton industry in Pakistan. We are here to bridge the gap between organic cotton supply and demand for our long-standing brand partner Bestseller,” says Omer Ahmed, CEO of Artistic Milliners.
The project aims to transition from Milliner Cotton Organic to the OCA FED (Farmers Engagement and Development) program. OCA is a multi-stakeholder organization dedicated to organic cotton.