According to new research from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), consumers and companies all over the world are increasingly choosing cotton produced in accordance with voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) such as Better Cotton or Cotton made in Africa. Vivek Voora – Senior Associate at the Institute – declared that sustainable cotton is in high demand.
Not only since customers are inclined to make responsible purchasing decisions, but also because brands use sustainability to differentiate their products in the market.
Voora stated that sustainability standards can help to change the environmental and social affects linked to conventional cotton production, such as water scarcity, soil and water contamination from pesticide runoff, forced labour, and poor working conditions. The new report includes a detailed analysis of how complying with sustainability standards can lead to higher cotton prices and income received by cotton farmers.
