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Sustainable and ethical
cotton sourcing
How to get it right, and make
it pay for your business
16-17 March 2015
|
London, UK
www.innovation-forum.co.uk/cotton

Understand political risk, resilience and hedging strategies for
sustainable cotton.
Hear from these leading experts:
Alison Ward
CEO

Learn from leadership companies who have paved the way on
more sustainable cotton sourcing.

Find out how far down the supply chain leading companies can
– and do – go. And the business impacts.
Marcus Bergman
Head of Sustainability
Hear from 12 major brands how they made the business case for
serious cotton action on sustainability – and how they measure
and report progress.
Stephen Cawley
Head of Sustainability


Discover how effective partnerships work, and the nuts and
bolts of better sourcing success.

Meet leading experts in the field who have spent decades working
on sustainable cotton – and learn from their experiences.

Engage key stakeholders. Learn about the farmer, ginner and
trader perspective on sustainable cotton.

Cotton sustainability: what does it all mean anyhow? Outside
organic and fair trade, what do we mean by sustainable or
ethical cotton?
LEAD SPONSORS:
CottonConnect
Gina Tricot
John Lewis
Anna Karin Dahlberg
Production Support Manager
Lindex
Pramod Singh
Project Manager India, Better Cotton Project
IKEA
Libby Annat
Controller of Ethical Trade & Sustainability
Primark
Rachel Singh
Shell Foundation Business Manager
Shell
Henrik Lindholm
CSR Manager
HOSTED BY:
Nudie Jeans
Phil Townsend
Sustainable Raw Materials Specialist
Marks and Spencer
MEDIA
PARTNERS:
Eileen Mockus
CEO
Coyuchi
Sustainable and ethical cotton sourcing
How to get it right, and make it pay for your business
C
otton has been associated with human development for
centuries – perhaps for as much as 7,000 years. More
recently, the trade and processing of cotton fibres helped drive
industrialisation in Europe, and made the plantation owners of the
emerging southern US states rich and powerful.
Throughout the history of cotton cultivation, though, there has
been an undercurrent of worker exploitation, which continues. And
like many cash crops, environmental damage through overuse
of water resources, and chemical fertilisers and pesticides, has
also been a major problem. Cotton producers vary enormously
in size and scale, from vast highly industrialised facilities in
more developed economies, to small scale family farmers in the
developing south.
For cotton-buying businesses and brands, then, securing a
sustainable supply of cotton for myriad products – including cloth,
food products such as cooking oil and animal fodder – has become
a major concern.
A billion livelihoods
Within agricultural systems, cotton is a key cash crop. It is the
most important raw material for the textile industry, and the
route from farm to finished garment involves a huge and complex
supply chain of processors, traders and transporters.
Cotton expert Simon Ferrigno points out, in An Insider’s Guide to
Cotton and Sustainability, that cotton is a truly global commodity,
grown in around 80 countries on around 33m hectares – which is
equivalent to around 2.5% of global arable land. For those that like
such comparisons, this area is similar to that of Switzerland and
Great Britain combined. The cotton grown each year across the
globe is sufficient to make all of us 18 T-shirts each.
For many developing economies, agriculture in general provides
the most effective route for economic advancement – and a
starting point for wider growth. Occupying 40% of the planet’s
land area and taking up 70% of freshwater resources, clearly
agriculture is critical.
Up to 100 million farmers grow cotton, and there are 250 million
more workers in the wider cotton processing industry. In terms of
the total number of people that derive their livelihoods from the
fibre, it may be up to a billion.
Small-scale suppliers
Around 90% of the 100 million cotton farmers are in developing
countries and grow the crop on less than two hectares. For them,
though, cotton provides a crucial link with the global economy,
which can be a positive and negative thing, with all the volatility in
price that this inevitably brings.
While cotton can be a difficult crop to grow successfully, with high
demands on labour where mechanisation is limited, farmers want
to cultivate it as it can provide cash that in turn can be invested
in the food crops that are typically grown alongside the cotton,
securing the viability of the farm and the farmers’ food supply.
A tricky crop
Cotton does have some rather particular requirements for
successful cultivation. Long frost-free periods are required – in
tropical regions cotton can grow all year as a perennial plant –
and plenty of sunshine. Crucially, cotton needs a minimum of 600
mm of water per year to grow successfully, whether from natural
rainfall or combined with irrigation. The young plants prefer moist
conditions at certain stages of the growing process, so careful
crop management is important for yield.
While cotton can be relatively drought tolerant – meaning that it
is grown in some semi-arid zones with irrigation – water misuse
has become closely associated with cotton supply chains. The
most striking example is in central Asia where the drive to
increase cotton production in Uzbekistan has been blamed as a
major causal factor in the poisoning of and then ultimate effective
disappearance of the Aral Sea – once the fourth largest lake in the
world.
Pollution and forced labour – Uzbekistan
Following independence, and the breakup of the Soviet Union
in the early 1990s, the Uzbek government pursued a policy of
expanding the country’s cotton industry, developing a massive
– if wasteful – irrigation system that diverted waters destined
for the Aral Sea. Vast monoculture farms growing only cotton
were established, with huge amounts of chemical fertilisers and
pesticides required to boost the depleted soils. The run-off from
these fields exacerbated pollution problems in the Aral Sea,
increasing toxicity in an increasingly saline and declining body of
water. Many health problems have developed, not least from toxic
dust storms. Similar, if less dramatic, environmental impacts of
cotton can be found across the planet.
In terms of social impacts, the Uzbek cotton industry has also
been the subject of close, and necessary, scrutiny. Responsible
Sourcing Network estimates that one million citizens are forced
to work in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields each year.
The government closes schools and public offices, sometimes
for months at a time, effectively coercing young people, teachers
and civil servants into labouring in the cotton fields to gather
To GM or not GM?
Genetically modified cotton was developed to help reduce
the industry’s increasingly heavy use of pesticides. Most
commonly, the Bacillus thuringiensis bacterium, known
as Bt, is added to cotton, which then produces a natural
insecticide in its tissues that is poisonous to a number
of pests but harmless to other forms of life. Bt cotton is
not immune to all predatory insects, but its use has cut
chemical pesticide use in many cases.
Any GM crop of course attracts controversy – and some
studies have also concluded that Bt cotton plantations
require as much chemical input as non-GM as secondary
non-resistant pests have developed, and also suggested
that yields of Bt cotton are disappointing.
Whatever the controversies, GM cotton has been popular,
accounting for nearly 70% of all cotton by 2011/12.
the harvest for very low wages. Farmers have little freedom to
manage their farms, with all aspects of the cotton production
process centrally controlled. They receive low prices for their
crops, all set by the government, which then sells the cotton
on the world markets at enormous profit.
Brand risk management
The uncovering of such poor labour practices in Uzbekistan and
other cotton-growing regions has in turn prompted international
brands to seek to eliminate “slave cotton” from their supply chains.
Traceability of supply has become vital for brand risk management
– not an easy task as the international cotton sourcing system had
historically bundled together fibres from around the world as it
passes through the mills, traders and buyers.
As a first step, many companies have undertaken not to source
from Uzbekistan and to work to force the Uzbek government
to cease forced labour practices. Over 160 have signed up to
Responsible Sourcing Network’s Company Pledge, including big
international brands such as Adidas, Nike, Marks & Spencer, Ikea,
Wal-Mart and Tesco.
Certification clarification
While cotton supply chains are coming under increasing scrutiny,
brands are looking to certification and verification schemes and
marks to help ensure sustainability of supply. Fair trade and/or
organic cotton has become a sought after commodity for topend brands, that market their products to increasingly engaged
consumers. Securing sufficient certified cotton of the right quality
is a challenge. Double certified fair trade and organic cotton –
with both social and environmental benefits – while regarded by
many in the industry as the gold standard, is unattainable on a
large scale, according to Simon Ferrigno (in An Insider’s Guide).
So it is typically niche brands such as Nudie Jeans – a member of
the Fair Wear Foundation – that are able to source 100% organic
cotton, and use their strict supply chain conditions as key selling
points for their products.
Cotton Connect works to link all stages of cotton supply chains,
from the farmer to finished products, creating the transparency
of supply that business and brands increasingly require. The
organisation aims to enable retailers to transform the scale of
sustainable cotton sourcing, while developing commercial success
at each stage of the supply chain. High environmental and social
standards are encouraged at every level. Cotton Connect works
with partner brands and NGOs on many different projects, including
helping them to implement Better Cotton Initiative programmes.
Other schemes that can have impact at larger scale include
Cotton made in Africa and Better Cotton. Set up by the Aid by
Trade Foundation, Cotton made in Africa works on the principle
of social business – in other words aid through trade – helping to
improve the live conditions for African cotton farmers. The initiative
has developed a network of international buyers committed to
purchasing sustainably produced cotton and using this in their
products. The farmers are trained in modern, efficient growing
methods, and how to use the minimum amount of pesticides.
Rain fed cultivation and crop rotation is encouraged. Cotton
made in Africa works in close cooperation with organic cotton
organisations, to increase the sales of sustainably grown cotton.
Better Cotton was established by the Better Cotton Initiative in
2009, and seeks to counter the threats to cotton supply from
environmental and social risks by bringing to the mainstream
cotton industry more careful chemical use, labour standards
and sensitive production techniques. Brands such as H&M, Levi
Strauss, Tommy Hilfiger and John Lewis are participants in the
scheme, which has proved a success. In a 2013 report – The Cotton
Conundrum – Forum for the Future records that in 2011, 35,000
Better Cotton farmers used 40% less pesticides and 20% less
water than their conventional competitors, while at the same time
increasing productivity and profits (the latter by 35%).
On March 16-17 in London, we’re bringing together a select group
of companies, NGOs and other experts to debate how to improve
sustainable and ethical cotton sourcing.
Alison Ward, CEO of Cotton Connect will help us set the scene for the
event. They will be joined by senior figures from Gina Tricot, Primark,
Shell, Lindex, Coyuchi, Nudie Jeans, Better Cotton Initiative, Textile
Exchange, M&S, Solidaridad, John Lewis, IKEA and Fairtrade.
These executives and activists, all at the forefront of the shift
towards ethical cotton sourcing in large companies, will be
debating the key issues at hand for business, communities,
governments and institutions on March 16-17 in London. The event
will cover the latest trends, but will also be a hands-on, practical
meeting, with controlled attendance so that the right people to
drive change are in the room. We hope you can join us.
Support independent debate and progress
Innovation Forum is looking for a small number of partners to work with and push forward the
sustainable cotton agenda.
The conference, along with our publishing of analysis and briefings on the subject, provide the perfect platform
to promote debate, innovation and action to improve ethical practices throughout the cotton supply chain.
Three key facts: 1. Promote innovation and action amongst a room filled with your peers and wider stakeholders.
2. Highlight your extensive, industry-leading work in front of industry media, peers, NGOs, suppliers and government.
3. Build relationships with key organisations to help promote action through collaboration.
Speakers include:
• Alison Ward, CEO,
CottonConnect
• Stephen Cawley, head of
sustainability, John Lewis
• Clare Lissaman, director and
co-founder, Arthur & Henry
• Henrik Lindholm, CSR
manager, Nudie Jeans
• Libby Annat, controller
of ethical trade and
sustainability, Primark
• Kate Larsen, founder,
Suaveco & CSRWinWin
(formerly head of
The Children's Place and
Burberry CSR Asia)
• Eileen Mockus, CEO, Coyuchi
• Iain Summers, GMM industrial
wear and product innovation,
Mark’s Work Warehouse
• Rachel Singh, business
manager, Shell Foundation
• Janet Mensink, international
cotton programme
coordinator, Solidaridad
• Marcus Bergman, head of
sustainability, Gina Tricot
• Phil Townsend, sustainable
raw materials specialist,
Marks & Spencer
• Anna Karin Dahlberg,
production support manager,
Lindex
• Arvind Rewal, general
manager south Asia,
CottonConnect
• Paul Caulfield, director
MBA programme,
ICCSR-Nottingham Business
School
• Pramod Singh, project
manager India,
Better Cotton Project, IKEA
• Lena Staafgard, business
director, Better Cotton
Initiative
• Mark Sumner, lecturer, Leeds
University School
of Design
• Klara Shrivankova, European
programme and advocacy
coordinator, Anti-Slavery
• Liesel Truscott, European and
farm engagement director,
Textile Exchange
• Simon Ferrigno, author and
consultant, Organic Farming
Systems
• Richard Anstead, interim
commercial director, Fairtrade
• Christoph Kaut, managing
director, Aid by Trade
• Patricia Jurewicz, director,
Responsible Sourcing
Network
??
Key questions you may be asking
1
Who will be in the room?
2
Why will this event be different from others?
Attending will be 150 senior professionals representing large corporations from corporate
responsibility, sustainability and supply chain job functions. We’re also bringing together the
NGOs that can help you make a real difference. We’re actively restricting the number of service
providers to ensure a minimum of 80% of attendees are corporate practitioners and key NGOs to
ensure the conference delivers maximum value – and maximum action.
So that all participants can feel able to speak freely, and to generate interesting debate,
Innovation Forum events are run under the Chatham House rule, which means that participants
are free to use the information discussed, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of a speaker,
nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.
The conference has been specifically designed to cover the topics that matter to business.
It will take an in-depth look at the real-world implications of improving sustainable cotton
sourcing. By bringing together an intimate group of corporate practitioners and experts, the
conference provides a strong platform for delegates to take away actionable insight that can be
implemented from the first day back in the office.
The conference will be an annual event. Our annual report that goes alongside the conference
will reflect progress and highlight areas for effective action. Speakers will be invited to report
back on progress later in 2015.
3
Why should I attend this event?
Innovation Forum has a clear philosophy – focused events, senior participants and candid
dialogue. By bringing together highly experienced practitioners around such a focused topic, we
are able to get to the core of the challenges and opportunities for companies in this space. The
agenda is designed to be interactive and engaging so the issues discussed are those that matter
to you and your peers.
Download our report, for free
The management briefing that complements this event has been put together as a result of extensive cross-
industry research with the leading experts in the field. Written by expert contributors, the report covers
in detail the current state of play in the industry as well as assessing and analysing the practical steps
companies can take, and the challenges/opportunities that will result. The report is an incredibly useful
tool in itself, but also works well to set the scene for discussion at the conference.
Make sure to download your copy for free from www.innovation-forum.co.uk/cotton
Day One 16th March 2015
Welcome and introductions
Tobias Webb, founder, Innovation Forum
• Focused debate
• Senior participants
• Candid dialogue
Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect
Sourcing trends: How brands can better
manage cotton supply risk
Cotton often comes from countries and areas with serious
What do the campaigners think of progress
so far by brands?
political risk. But how serious are these risks, and are they growing
Cotton sourcing companies have been under pressure for more
for sourcing brands? In this opening session we’ll look at some
than a decade on sourcing. In this session we’ll ask some of
of the facts and figures about who buys from where, the risks
the NGO groups focusing on cotton for their views on what
they are running, and whether cotton hedging and risk mitigation
they have heard from companies at the event and around the
strategies are taking account of ethical, reputational and
world generally. We’ll ask them to also focus on specific ideas
sustainability risk.
and solutions to solve some of the more serious sustainability
• Out of the top ten cotton producers globally, only the US and
challenges in global cotton sourcing.
Australia could be said to be stable politically. What does
sourcing from important but challenging producers such as
Pakistan and China mean for brand reputation risk?
• Are there safer sourcing markets – and new emerging
important ones – that you can and should include in risk
and mitigation planning?
Kate Larsen, founder, Suaveco and CSRWinWin (former CSR director,
The Children's Place, former CSR manager at Burberry)
Liesel Truscott, European and farm engagement director,
Textile Exchange
Simon Ferrigno, author and consultant, Organic Farming Systems
Patricia Jurewicz, director, Responsible Sourcing Network
Janet Mensink, international cotton programme coordinator,
Solidaridad
Klara Shrivankova, European programme and advocacy coordinator,
Anti-Slavery
Case study: Primark and CottonConnect
in India and China
Primark is working with CottonConnect to teach cotton farmers
about sowing, water efficiency, soil quality and pesticide
reduction. In this case study session, Livvy Annat and Arvind
Rewal will discuss how their partnership is training 1,150 famers
How are brands responding? Case studies
For sourcing companies the cotton market has been a volatile one
in recent years. According to the 2013 Organic Cotton Report by
Textile Exchange, overall demand is growing, whilst production
contracts. Overall production of natural fibres fell 3% in 2013,
whilst conventional cotton production fell 4.1% compared to
in China’s Hebei province, and 1,250 female farmers in the
Surendranagar region of Gujurat. Specifically we’ll ask them to
discuss:
• How they overcome the barrier of entrenched practices in
farming practices.
• Local partnerships: how they have built relationships with
2012. So markets are under pressure, whilst sustainability and
on-the-ground NGOs such as the Self-Employed Women's
ethical expectations on brands are growing. In this session we’ll
Association.
ask several leading companies who buy finished cotton for an
update on their progress to date, challenges they face and have
overcome, and key lessons learned so far.
Pramod Singh, project manager India, Better Cotton Project, IKEA
• Measurements: one key goal is women’s economic
independence, so how is this best measured and how are
expectations and targets best set?
Libby Annat, controller of ethical trade and sustainability,
Libby Annat, controller of ethical trade & sustainability, Primark
Primark AB Foods
Marcus Bergman, head of sustainability, Gina Tricot
Arvind Rewal, general manager South Asia, CottonConnect
Day One 16th March 2015
Breakouts – case studies
Breakout two: Sustainable and ethical cotton
sourcing at Mark’s Work Warehouse
organic cotton brands on their progress to date. Eileen Mockus,
Mark’s Work Warehouse is a Canadian apparel and footwear
retailer. Part of the Canadian Tire Family of Companies, Mark’s
specializes in casual and industrial wear. The company currently
operates more than 380 stores across Canada.
In this session we’ll ask Iain Summers, general manager of
industrial wear and product innovation, to discuss the company’s
work to date on cotton sourcing and their partnership with
CottonConnect.
CEO, Coyuchi, with Clare Lissaman, founder and CEO, Arthur &
Iain Summers, general manager of industrial wear and product
Henry, will present key lessons learned in their supply chains and
innovation, Mark’s Work Warehouse
Breakout one: Sustainability at Coyuchi and
Arthur & Henry
In this double session we’ll hear from two smaller, innovative
take questions and engage in discussion with the audience.
Tackling supply chain challenges in sustainable
cotton homewear at Coyuchi
Developing sustainable home textiles involves researching supply
chains, managing to environmental standards while creating
products that are on trend and appealing to consumers.
Coyuchi are makers of organic and natural home textiles. The
company’s cotton products are certified to the Global Organic
Textile Standard. In this presentation and Q+A, Coyuchi’s CEO,
Closing plenary for day one: Reflections on the
day, and discussion of key mistakes not to make
in sustainable and ethical cotton sourcing
In this closing session we’ll ask some leading experts to offer
some reflections on the day, and some of their key take away do’s
and don’t’s from their work in cotton and from the conference
so far. We’ll then have a facilitated discussion on areas covered
during the day with the speakers and the audience.
Richard Anstead, interim commercial director, Fairtrade
Eileen Mockus, will share the company’s approach to fulfilling the
Christoph Kaut, managing director, Aid by Trade
requirements of certification and delivering great products.
Lena Staafgard, business director, Better Cotton Initiative
Eileen has also worked for North Face, Patagonia and Pottery
Barn Kids. We'll ask her to draw on her considerable experience to
discuss creating sustainability in home textiles.
Eileen Mockus, CEO, Coyuchi
Building a slow fashion supply chain in India: key
lessons learned
Arthur & Henry is a focused business making ethically branded
menswear garments in India, deliberately close to its supply chain.
The company’s cotton is organic and garments Global Organic
Textile Standard certified. Arthur & Henry seeks to maximise
benefits to workers and donates 1% of its turnover to charity.
In this session we'll ask Clare Lissaman, director and co-founder,
to discuss the key lessons she has learned in scaling the business,
how to engage the entire supply chain, including tailors, cutters
and finishers, and motivating suppliers overall, to produce the
best product at the right price.
Clare Lissaman, director and co-founder, Arthur & Henry
Mark Sumner, lecturer, Leeds University School of Design
Day Two 17th March 2015
Cotton sustainability at John Lewis
John Lewis, a famous British retail brand, has been working on
cotton sustainability for some years. One key focus, developed
in partnership with CottonConnect, is greater crop yields. Their
collaboration shares best practice through training programmes
for farmers to reduce pesticide use. The approach also introduces
drip irrigation, which improves fertilisation techniques, with
evidence of delivering 50% yield increases within 12 months, in
some cases. The project has impacted 1,500 farmers over three
years, improving the livelihoods and employment of around
7,500 people.
In this interactive, PowerPoint free session, we’ll ask Stephen
Cawley, John Lewis’s head of sustainability, to discuss:
• The nuts and bolts detail of the programme – what’s worked,
and where the key challenges are.
• How they measure progress, and track social improvements in
the value chain.
• What’s next for John Lewis and CottonConnect in this area, and
how the three year project will impact further work in cotton
sustainability.
2 | Gina Tricot’s approach to sustainable cotton
sourcing
Gina Tricot is a Swedish family-owned fashion retailer that sells
clothing for women. The chain caters to fashion-conscious women
of all ages. Gina Tricot has around 170 stores in Sweden, Norway,
Finland, Denmark and Germany.
The company believes in supply chain transparency, and points
out to customers that organic cotton must be treated separately
from cotton that isn't organic – and this applies throughout the
entire chain, from picking to cleaning, spinning, knitting and
weaving – and finally, at product level. This is why, of course, it is
often more expensive than normal cotton.
Gina Tricot also has a strict code of conduct that for suppliers
covering issues such as wages, working hours, health and safety.
The code’s requirements are based on international labour
standards.
In this session we’ll ask Marcus Bergman, head of sustainability
at Gina Tricot, to discuss how the company is working and
collaborating with others to improve sustainable cotton sourcing,
manage supply chain challenges, and explain how the company
talks to customers about organic cotton.
Marcus Bergman, head of sustainability, Gina Tricot
Stephen Cawley, head of sustainability, John Lewis
Plenary case studies: Marks & Spencer,
Gina Tricot, Lindex and Nudie Jeans
1 | Marks & Spencer’s approach to sustainable
cotton sourcing
For Marks & Spencer, the £10 billion turnover British own-brand
iconic retailer, sustainable cotton has been a key part of their Plan
A sustainability strategy and rollout in recent years.
M&S has significantly raised the amount of sustainable cotton
it sources, from 3.8% in 2011/12 to 11% in 2012/13 and 20% in
2013/2014. Their goal is to get to 25% by 2014/15 and 50% by 2020.
Sustainable for M&S means sourced to Better Cotton Initiative
standards, Fairtrade cotton, organic or recycled.
In this interactive session we'll ask Phil Townsend, sustainable
raw materials specialist, Marks & Spencer, to discuss the
company’s journey so far, the key lessons learned, and describe
how it has learned to collaborate with others and engage the
supply chain.
Phil Townsend, sustainable raw materials specialist, Marks & Spencer
3 | Lindex’s approach to sustainable cotton
sourcing
Lindex, with stores in 16 countries, started sourcing half a million
garments made from organically grown cotton in 2007, aiming to
offer more sustainable options to its customers. By 2013, Lindex
had diversified and expanded its sourcing to nine million garments
made from materials such as recycled fibres of polyester,
polyamide, cotton and wool.
In this session, we’ll ask Anna Karin Dahlberg, production
support manager for Lindex, to talk about how the company
has approached sustainable sourcing, its partnerships and
approaches, and about some of the key challenges it is facing in
mainstreaming sustainable cotton in its supply chains. And we’ll
find out how Lindex talks about this to customers.
Anna Karin Dahlberg, production support manager, Lindex
Day Two 17th March 2015
4 | Nudie Jeans and sustainable sourcing
Nudie Jeans is a Swedish ethical jeans brand based in Gothenburg.
The company's approach to sustainability is framed around key
issues such as repair, reuse, recycling and organic sourcing and
workers' rights. In 2006 Nudie Jeans took the decision to only
source organic cotton for its denim collection and reached this
goal in 2012. We'll ask a senior Nudie Jeans executive to discuss
the lessons the company has learned on its journey to date, how
the company talks to customers and what its key challenges and
opportunities are.
Henrik Lindholm, CSR manager, Nudie Jeans
Enabling sustainable networks in China’s cotton
supply chains
In this quick-fire 30 minute session we'll ask leading business
academic Paul Caulfield to present the key relevant business
points from his recent study on sustainable supply networks for
cotton in China.
Paul Caulfield, director, MBA programme, International Centre for
Corporate Social Responsibility, Nottingham University
The power of inclusive market thinking
to transform cotton supply chains
The Shell Foundation works to tackle the social, environmental
and market barriers that stop nearly three billion people around
the world – who survive on less than $2.50 a day – from accessing
opportunities to earn income, improve their quality of life and
escape the poverty trap.
In this session, Rachel Singh will discuss how entrepreneurial
thinking can catalyse new ways to deliver lasting public benefit
and to spur inclusive economic growth in developing countries.
Rachel Singh, business manager, Shell Foundation
Closing plenary: What have we learned,
conclusions and steps for the next 12 months
In the final conference session, four experts from brands that
are leading the sustainable cotton sourcing debate, will bring
together the analysis and conclusions that has emerged over
the past two days. They will set the agenda for the coming months
– and examine the challenges that are to come.
Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect
Stephen Cawley, head of sustainability, John Lewis
Marcus Bergman, head of sustainability, Gina Tricot
Phil Townsend, sustainable raw materials specialist, Marks & Spencer
Conference objectives:
• To provide both a basic and advanced level forum for brands and suppliers who wish to get
started – and improve – on ethical and sustainable cotton sourcing.
• To raise awareness amongst companies up and down the supply chain of what can be done
to improve practices and supplier performance.
• To showcase best emerging practices and processes for companies to leapfrog from starting
out to delivering against objectives quickly.
• To highlight the practical tools and partners available to assist brands and their suppliers in
engaging farmers, traders, manufacturers and governments on sustainable and ethical cotton issues.
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Sustainable and
ethical cotton sourcing
How to get it right, and make
it pay for your business
16-17 March 2015
|
London, UK
www.innovation-forum.co.uk/cotton
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Business and Human Rights
7-8 April, 2015 • New York
How business can tackle deforestation
14-15 April, 2015 • Washington DC
Measurement and Valuation of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability
June 2015 • London
Sustainable Sugarcane Sourcing and Risk Management
June 2015 • London
Deforestation in Asia – Overcoming business challenges via Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships
September 2015 • Singapore
If you're interested in any of these events, please do get in touch:
Charlenne Ordonez
|
Tel + 44 (0) 20 3780 7433
|
charlenne.ordonez@innovation-forum.co.uk
|
www.innovation-forum.co.uk