The non-profit Textile Exchange has shown in a report that the transition to regenerative agriculture is fundamental to the long-term health of the fashion and textile industries.
Fiber production is becoming increasingly risky for brands as it is threatened by climate change and biodiversity loss. Regenerative agricultural approaches can play a key role in developing more resilient systems that bring immense social and environmental benefits to the industry.
The Textile Exchange organization, whose sponsors include Kering, the J. Crew Group and CottonConnect, developed the ‘Regenerative Agriculture Landscape Analysis’. It aims to provide the fashion and textile industry with a framework and tools to credibly understand, implement and describe the benefits of working in this area.
Key findings from the report:
- The transition to regenerative agriculture is fundamental for the fashion and textile industries. The long-term well-being of the industry will depend on its ability to work with farmers to develop more resilient systems.
- Regenerative practices also offer immense social and environmental benefits. Regenerative agriculture cannot be defined in a single statement or set of practices. It is contextual and nuanced, requiring instead a fundamentally holistic systems approach that puts people and ecosystems at the center.
- Programs should be rooted in justice, equity and livelihoods. Indigenous activists are calling for recognition of the indigenous roots of regenerative agriculture and past and current ethnic discrimination to underpin their future work.
- Regenerative agriculture is about more than increasing the carbon content of the soil. While evolving soil science raises questions about how exactly the long-term sequestration of carbon in soil works, holistic regenerative systems have also documented interdependent benefits in terms of biodiversity, water availability and quality, climate resilience, and livelihoods.
By presenting the key considerations for industry, Textile Exchange hopes to help companies understand how to approach and engage with regenerative agriculture projects and partnerships. The report also addresses an important gap in the discussion to date: the need to acknowledge the indigenous roots of this concept and to consider ethnic and social justice as critical components of what has been labeled a “regenerative” system. She underscores how important it is for brands to be clear about their vision and intent when investing in regenerative agriculture, and to ensure social justice and livelihood security are embedded in their efforts.
These interlocking themes lead to the report’s main conclusion: For the fashion industry, regenerative agriculture is an opportunity to invest in a fundamentally different system that goes beyond the current system of extraction.
Moving forward, Textile Exchange encourages brands to invest in inclusive and credible regenerative agriculture projects that can strengthen industry resilience within our planetary boundaries. Brands should also ensure that those who farm the land directly, including indigenous peoples, communities of color and agricultural workers, or their elected representatives, play an active role in decision-making in any regenerative project from the outset.
“Regenerative agriculture is about growing commodities in harmony with natural systems and indigenous practices. It stands in stark contrast to the extractive approach that has become the norm in recent years, but it cannot be squeezed into a single definition or set of practices. This can be a challenge for companies, but also an opportunity to highlight farmers as the key drivers of this movement,” said Beth Jensen, Climate+ Strategy Director, Textile Exchange.
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ
Article source: Textile Exchange Regenerative Agriculture Landscape Analysis