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Fashion’s most widely used sustainable cotton scheme is under fire for failing to adequately address allegations that farms covered by its standard contributed to serious environmental and human rights abuses in Brazil.
The issue was first raised last year when environmental NGO Earthsight published an investigation that alleged Better Cotton-certified farms were linked to large-scale deforestation, land grabbing and violent harassment of local communities in Brazil’s sensitive Cerrado ecoregion.
Better Cotton said its own investigation conducted by an independent third party found no evidence its standards had been breached or that the farms identified were directly linked to the reported issues, but nevertheless committed to address risks revealed by Earthsight’s report.
In an updated action plan published earlier this month, it outlined the steps it has taken so far. These include improving engagement and dispute resolution mechanisms for local communities, initiating steps to strengthen due diligence frameworks and working with Brazil’s cotton-growing association (which manages the Better Cotton process in the country) to enhance standards.
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The plan falls “well short” of the measures required to address unsustainable and illegal practices in Brazil’s cotton sector, Earthsight said in a response published Thursday.
“[Better Cotton] continues to ignore the core issue of widespread land grabbing and the profound impacts this has on traditional communities and the environment,” the organisation said in the statement. “It is also clear Better Cotton remains unconcerned about the shocking conflicts of interest that plague its certification programme in Brazil, which it runs in partnership with cotton lobbyists,” it added.
The criticism comes amid a broader credibility crisis for fashion’s efforts to promote sustainable cotton supply chains, with successive investigations highlighting that serious abuses often persist even when cotton is purportedly sourced responsibly.
Better Cotton said it welcomed the opportunity to identify ways to improve.
“Our recently updated action plan is a work in progress that shows the direction we are taking, as we adjust aspects of our operation to face specific challenges in a complex regional context,” a spokesperson said in an email. “We are committed to continuing this important work through regular assessments and further adjustments, as required.”
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