Better Cotton to manage growth fund under IDH restructure

In a move that sees IDH pass over management of the Better Cotton Growth & Innovation Fund to Better Cotton, IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative, and Better Cotton have redefined their collaboration.

IDH and Better Cotton are restructuring their cooperation in order to work together on the long-term transformation of the cotton industry from 2022 to 2030.

Throughout this time, IDH and Better Cotton will work together to promote the cotton sector’s transformation by strengthening social and environmental impacts in cotton-growing regions, lowering climate change impacts, and engaging with brands on sustainable sourcing practices.

In addition, IDH will continue to be a funder and strategic partner of the Better Cotton Growth & Innovation Fund (Better Cotton GIF), but will pass over the operation of the Fund to Better Cotton.

The Sustainable Trade Initiative, or IDH, is a non-profit organization that collaborates with businesses, financial institutions, governments, and civil society to promote sustainable trade in global value chains. With over 600 firms, CSOs, financial institutions, producer organizations, and governments throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America, it operates in a variety of industries and settings. Its goal is to develop and implement innovative, market-driven approaches to create new jobs, sustainable industries, and new sustainable markets that will have a large-scale positive impact on climate change, deforestation, gender, living wages, and living incomes, which will help to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

IDH and Better Cotton are dedicated to fostering a cotton industry that promotes climate-resilient approaches that support farmer livelihoods and environmentally friendly agricultural practices, as well as commercial structures that incentivize and maintain this transition. Through program development, field interventions, and increasing investment opportunities through impact funding, they will collaborate in these areas of mutual interest.

Lena Staafgard, COO, Better Cotton, said that IDH has been one of their most essential and loyal partners since the founding of Better Cotton. They were instrumental in assuring the Standard’s growth and acceleration through the founding of the BCFTP, and they have continued to give challenge and support, ensuring that their strategies and actions are effective and efficient. Through their continuous engagement and partnership, they look forward to exploring new prospects for driving change together. To be successful, the 2030 Agenda for Transformation demands innovation and bold actions. In both aspects, IDH is an excellent partner.