Reformation Backs New Cotton Coalition, Adore Me as B Corp, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol News: Short Takes
U.S. Cotton Gains: Reformation is partnering with the White Buffalo Land Trust and more to promote organic cotton in the U.S. under a pre-competitive coalition called “C4.”
Standing for the California Cotton and Climate Coalition, C4’s premise is that by sourcing directly from farmers utilizing regenerative practices under the White Buffalo Land Trust, farmer livelihoods are more directly sustained on the rolling timeline of product releases planned for 2023. Producers for the cotton include the Bowles Farming Company and Stone Land Company.
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Though it varies by region, farmers are said to be paid 20 percent to 100 percent above commodity prices.
Along with Reformation, founding brand partners include Coyuchi, Mate the Label, Outerknown and Trace. Fibershed, Torus and Materevolve consulting are also supporting C4’s efforts.
The cotton is grown in the San Joaquin Valley (with potential to expand learnings across California’s some 187,000 cotton-growing acres) and incorporates a range of soil health best practices. Practices are accredited by regenerative expert the Savory Institute — like compost application and data collection — to help sequester carbon in the soil and be prepared in the face of extreme weather events.
That’s not the only cotton project progressing its aims. The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol announced last week that it was selected as the recipient of $90 million in funding from the USDA’s Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity.
With the funding, the Trust Protocol will build demand for what it calls “climate-smart” cotton while providing technical and financial assistance to more than 1,000 U.S. cotton farmers. What separates climate-smart cotton from the herd is the adoption of climate smart practices with a focus on detailed measuring, reporting and verification of cotton-growing.
This project is supported by the National Cotton Council’s export arm Cotton Council International, Cotton Incorporated, the Soil Health Institute, Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Agricenter International, Alabama A&M University and North Carolina A&T State University. In five years, the project is expected to support 1 million acres, or some 4 million bales of “Climate Smart Cotton.”
Meanwhile, cotton stakeholders in India and London are also opening up organic cotton demand and knowledge exchange via organizations like CottonConnect or India’s Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
B Corp Chops: Lingerie brand Adore Me is joining the B Corp club, as is Danish contemporary brand Ganni.
While Adore Me is not the first in the category to attain B Corp status, with brands like Nudea, The Very Good Bra and Y.O.U. Underwear already boasting the status — the company got the accreditation in just three years and is the first U.S.-based lingerie brand to achieve the honor.
Ganni, meanwhile, celebrates improved recycled content and other feats which earned it a total 90.6 points (though 80 points out of 200 is passing).
