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Scaling organic cotton through farmer partnerships

23,000 farmers supported the transition to organic
Organic cotton production has an important role to play in building more sustainable and resilient textile supply chains. Yet despite growing global demand, less than 1% of the world’s cotton is grown organically, with many smallholder farmers facing significant barriers when transitioning away from conventional farming methods.
Through a long-term partnership with Laudes Foundation (formerly C&A Foundation), CottonConnect has supported thousands of cotton farmers in adopting organic cultivation practices, improving farm sustainability, and strengthening the future supply of certified organic cotton globally.
The collaboration combines field-level farmer support with broader efforts to strengthen organic cotton markets, supply chains, and certification systems.

A man picking cotton from a cotton plant.

Key outcomes

  • farmers supported in transitioning to organic cotton production

  • farmers achieved organic certification

  • Improved water efficiency through sustainable irrigation practices

  • Lower input costs compared to conventional farming systems

  • Support for the creation of the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA)

The challenge

Although organic cotton offers significant environmental and social benefits, transitioning to organic production can be difficult for smallholder farmers. The conversion process often involves:

  • Reduced yields during initial transition years
  • The need for new farming knowledge and practice
  • Costs associated with organic certification
  • Access challenges around organic seed and inputs
  • Greater complexity in maintaining contamination-free supply chains

 

At the same time, scaling organic cotton production globally requires stronger coordination between farmers, brands, supply chain partners, and certification bodies. Without long-term technical and financial support, many farmers face significant risks when shifting from conventional to organic cultivation systems.

 

 

Women within farming communities often face additional challenges linked to access to education, rights awareness, and economic participation. Volcom recognised the need for a sourcing model that combined traceability with practical, community-level support capable of delivering both environmental and social value.

 

 

CottonConnect recognised the importance of generating practical field-level insights that could support future programme development and help brands strengthen more climate-resilient supply chains.

 

 

The approach

Through CottonConnect’s Organic Programme, Laudes Foundation provided technical and financial support to help farmers transition toward certified organic cotton production. The programme focused on:

  • Organic farming training
  • Good agricultural practices
  • Organic certification support
  • Farmer collective organisation
  • Farm monitoring and contamination control
  • Organic seed research initiatives

 

Farmers received guidance on cultivating cotton without synthetic chemicals or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), while adopting practices designed to improve soil health, biodiversity, and water management. Support was also provided to strengthen irrigation efficiency through methods such as rainwater harvesting, furrow irrigation and drip irrigation systems.

CottonConnect additionally worked with Laudes Foundation to support organic seed research activities in China and collaborated with wider industry stakeholders to establish the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA), a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on strengthening the global organic cotton market.

 

 

 

 

 

The partnership has contributed to measurable environmental, economic, and supply chain improvements across participating farming communities.

The impact

Expanding organic cotton production

Through the programme, 23,000 farmers adopted organic cultivation practices, with 16,000 farmers achieving organic certification. This has helped strengthen the availability of traceable organic cotton while supporting long-term supply chain resilience for brands committed to sustainable sourcing. This strengthened transparency across the supply chain while supporting the expansion of verified organic cotton sourcing.

Lower input costs and improved resource efficiency

Results from participating farms showed reduced production costs compared to conventional farming systems, alongside improvements in water management and irrigation efficiency. Organic cotton production methods also contribute to significant environmental benefits, with organic cotton requiring 91% less water and 62% less energy compared to conventionally grown cotton. In addition, 100 farmers completed Farmer Business School training, helping strengthen financial literacy and business management capabilities within farming communities.

Strengthening long-term farmer support

The partnership model enabled close collaboration with farming communities to identify practical challenges and provide tailored support throughout the transition process. From certification guidance to farm monitoring and contamination prevention, the programme helped farmers navigate the complexities of organic production while improving long-term farm sustainability.

“CottonConnect is a valued partner for the Laudes Foundation. Their strength is in their depth of knowledge both in the field and the supply chain.”

Anita Chester, Head of Sustainable Raw Materials, Laudes Foundation

Looking ahead

As demand for more responsibly sourced raw materials continues to increase, strengthening organic cotton production remains an important priority for the future of sustainable fashion. Through continued collaboration between farmers, foundations, brands, and industry partners, programmes such as this are helping create more resilient organic cotton supply chains that support environmental protection, farmer livelihoods, and long-term market growth.