Takko Holding GmbH and Target Australia Pty Ltd are among the newest retailer and brand members who joined the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) in the second quarter of 2018.

The global not-for-profit organisation is the largest cotton sustainability programme in the world, which last year provided training on more sustainable agricultural practices to 1.6m farmers from 23 countries.

More than 350 brands are now committed to supporting cotton farmers through the initiative, with Coolinvestments Group and Task International BV also having joined in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, BCI also recently welcomed new civil society organisations Sawera Foundation (Pakistan), Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India), Responsible Sourcing Network, a project of As You Sow, (United States), Rural Business Development Centre (Pakistan) and Centers For International Projects Trust (India) to the fold, taking the total number of civil society organisations it works with to 37.

BCI retailer and brand members are committed to supporting a more sustainable future for cotton production. They pay a fee to BCI based on the amount of cotton they source as Better Cotton, which is invested into training BCI farmers on more sustainable agricultural practices like reducing inputs (water, pesticides) and addressing gender equality and child labour issues.

Civil society members, meanwhile, are progressive not-for-profit organisations who are taking decisive steps towards securing a more sustainable future for cotton production by partnering with the Better Cotton Initiative.