Myntra to source BCI certified cotton for its in-house brands

Indian fashion e-commerce platform, Myntra, has partnered with Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and would use the global non-profit organization to source cotton for its in-house brands’ clothes. According to a release, in the next five to seven years, Myntra expects to source about 50% of its cotton requirements from BCI.

BCI runs one of the world’s largest cotton sustainability programs, with the goal of making cotton cultivation more sustainable. BCI and its partners trained nearly 2.7 million cotton farmers in sustainable practices that use lesser chemicals and water to extract maximum efficiency from the farmland during the previous cotton season.

The statement said that Myntra will focus on sourcing 10% of its cotton needs from BCI, to begin with, with the goal of increasing that to 50% in the next five to seven years. A mass balance paradigm would be used, where Better Cotton would be mixed with traditional cotton throughout the supply chain to make it easier to adopt, scale, and measure.

While Better Cotton cannot be physically traced to end goods, BCI farmers will benefit from the demand for Better Cotton in comparable amounts to its sources, according to the statement.

Better Cotton now accounts for 23% of worldwide cotton production, with BCI’s roughly 70 implementing partners quickly reacting to changing circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the organization.

Neetu Jotwani, VP Product Development and Sourcing at Myntra, said that they strive to adopt more environmentally friendly practices throughout their supply chain as the country’s leading fashion and lifestyle retailer. They will continue their journey to source more sustainable cotton across their entire business as a result of their partnership with the BCI, working towards a brighter future for the cotton industry and those whose livelihoods are dependent on it.