#Raw Materials

2025-02-27

Better Cotton extends partnership with Cotton Australia

Better Cotton has announced the renewal of its Strategic Partnership with Cotton Australia, the official body for Australia’s cotton growers, until 2027. The agreement provides the framework for continued collaboration and ensures the organisations remain aligned in their efforts to champion more sustainably produced cotton.

Photo credit: Cotton Australia. Location: Narrabri, Australia, 2023. Description: Picker in action at Camp Cotton 2023

Since 2014, Cotton Australia’s ‘my Best Management Practice’ (myBMP) Standard has been recognised as equivalent to the Better Cotton Standard System (BCSS), enabling Australian farmers to sell their cotton as ‘Better Cotton’ in international markets.??

In the 2023/24 cotton season, licensed farmers produced more than 400,000 metric tonnes (MT) of Better Cotton, representing 40% of the country’s total cotton production.

The Australian cotton industry provides employment for more than 10,000 people and generates over AU$3.5 billion per year in export earnings, according to Cotton Australia.

Following Cotton Australia’s success in aligning its field-level requirements with Better Cotton’s updated Principles & Criteria (P&C) v.3.0, the revised myBMP Standard will be fully implemented by the 2025/26 season.??

Better Cotton requires Strategic Partners to periodically reassess and, where necessary, realign their standards with the BCSS to maintain standard equivalence. This ensures that both standards evolve to continually support cotton farmers in meeting the market demand of more sustainable cotton.?

Better Cotton Initiative opens enrollment in the US with promising opportunities for producers

Producer enrollment for the US Program of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is open until May 15 for the 2026-2027 season. With over 2,600 members spanning the cotton supply chain and more than 11,000 users of its Better Cotton Platform (BCP) as of 2025, BCI’s standard is implemented in 15 countries and covers one fifth of global cotton production.

Beyond the wardrobe – innovative cotton takes the spotlight

Cotton can do more – a lot more. Cutting-edge textiles and high-tech products made from 100% cotton prove just how powerfully performance and sustainability can come together. That very surge of innovation is front and centre at the 38th Bremen Cotton Conference, taking place March 25–27, 2026, at Bremen’s Parliament on the historic market square – culminating in a bold and dedicated closing session on Friday. In the spotlight: performance upgrades for pure cotton, smart strategies for circular textile waste solutions, and pioneering concepts for demanding technical applications. From natural fibre–reinforced composites to highly effective flame-retardant solutions, cotton steps out of the closet and shows the future potential woven into every fibre.

Esquel Group adds two new extra-long staple cotton varieties approved

Esquel Group’s Xinjiang Research & Development Center has successfully developed two new Sea Island cotton (Extra-Long-Staple cotton, ELS cotton) varieties named “Yuan Loong 37” and “Yuan Loong 42,” which have been officially approved and granted registration numbers. Both varieties have also obtained Plant Variety Rights certificates, marking another significant breakthrough for the Group in cotton breeding and commercial application.

Aid by Trade Foundation reaches new milestones in supply chain transparency

The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is reaching new milestones as it leads the way towards greater physical traceability for Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) cotton. With around 700 suppliers and producers in a total of 25 countries, the Aid by Trade Foundation has reached a new record number of partners who can trace CmiA cotton from the product back to its origin. This is more than double the previous year’s figure.

Barmag presents the next generation of POY production – energy-efficient and partial-automated

With POY 2.0, Barmag is introducing a completely redesigned spinning concept that takes the production of partially oriented yarn (POY) to a new level in terms of technology and economy. The solution, which was presented to a selected audience of experts for the first time at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025, was met with great enthusiasm: several yarn producers worldwide immediately expressed their interest in a pilot plant.

Textile‑to‑textile recycling leader Circulose joins Spinnova’s ecosystem to accelerate technology scale‑up

Textile‑to‑textile recycling leader Circulose joins Spinnova’s ecosystem (consortium) to help advance the scale‑up of Spinnova’s technology. Spinnova has actively sought partners to accelerate commercial scale‑up, and Circulose, as a key player in textile recycling, strengthens the ecosystem by providing a raw material that is in high demand across the industry.