Over the last year, ONLY facilitated the sourcing of almost 3,400 tonnes of African organic cotton from farmers in Africa. The cotton was sourced using a direct-to-farm model and verified organic by Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation and one of the world’s leading standards for cotton farmed in Africa.
This milestone represents the first time that such a quantity of organic cotton sourced from Africa is being used for the company’s bestselling products.
“With a brand the size of ONLY, we have the capacity to make an impact by increasing the volume of organic cotton produced in Africa. We have doubled the volume used in products and are committed to increasing our investments to meet our sustainability goals.” Finn Poulsen Brand Director, ONLY.
Specifically, ONLY converted the popular Blush and Power denim jeans programmes to be made using CmiA Organic verified cotton. These two programmes are part of ONLY’s NOOS (Never Out Of Stock) collections, which feature timeless pieces in high demand and are a cornerstone of ONLY’s business.
Supply Chain Collaboration
Cotton accounts for more than 40 percent of all the material used in BESTSELLER products. As conventional cotton farming practices can have a significant environmental and social impact, BESTSELLER is committed to increasing the volume of organic cotton sourced.
However, only 3.2 percent of the global cotton grown is organic. Direct-to-farm sourcing is BESTSELLER’s preferred method for supporting farmers in transitioning from conventionally farmed cotton to the development of transparent and fair organic production.
“Collaboration is key to driving meaningful impact and building integrity in our organic cotton supply chains. By supporting organic farmers, we address the challenges of the global organic cotton market and ensure the authenticity of our materials. Working with CmiA, we directly support making organic farming an attractive choice for farmers in Africa and can address our social and environmental impact.” Jonas Meier Sørensen Buying Manager, ONLY.
BESTSELLER works with CmiA to connect both ends of the supply chain, facilitating the flow of organic cotton from African farmers to the ginners and spinners, and to the fabric mills via cotton traders, and finally to the manufacturers who produce ONLY jeans.
“BESTSELLER‘s increasing demand for CmiA Organic cotton represents a strong commitment to nature protection, supply chain responsibility, and social justice for the farmers in Africa who cultivate CmiA Organic verified cotton. CmiA Organic exceeds the standards of conventional organic certification, providing vital social and economic support to African farmers and their communities. The cotton produced can be traced all the way to the end product,” says Nina Schöttle, Project Manager Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning at the Aid by Trade Foundation.
One of Many Steps
BESTSELLER has set a target of sourcing 30 percent of its entire cotton supply from organic or in-conversion cotton by 2025. In-conversion cotton is cotton from farmers that are transitioning to organic practices, which can take up to three years. BESTSELLER facilitates farmers receive the same price as they would receive for organic cotton during this transition.
In 2023-24, across BESTSELLER, the company doubled the amount of organic cotton used in products. The increased commitment by ONLY follows the previously communicated commitments made by JACK & JONES. The combined effort across all brands means BESTSELLER is on track to meet its 2025 target.
“With the direct-to-farm model, we are partnering at farm level and can directly address the social conditions for farmers and the environmental impact of cotton production. Increasing the volume of organic cotton sourced from Africa represents good progress, but we are still a long way from where we need to be. Going forward, we will significantly increase the volumes of organic cotton and other preferred materials we source.” Dorte Rye Olsen Head of Sustainability, BESTSELLER.
Supporting Cotton Communities
This year, BESTSELLER collaborated with the Aid by Trade Foundation for its CmiA Community Cooperation Programme to support cotton farming communities in Benin.
The company contributed financial support to improve educational and water infrastructure. This included constructing a new school block with three classrooms and two latrines. Additionally, table-benches were provided to ensure proper seating for students. To address water needs, two boreholes were drilled, providing reliable access to clean water.
Through this collaboration, more than 4,000 community members in three cotton farming villages have benefited from improved access to education, clean water, and better hygiene practices.
“The ongoing cooperation within the CmiA Community Cooperation Programme between BESTSELLER and AbTF supports these communities far beyond cotton cultivation. Together, we are thereby setting a powerful example and creating a lasting impact for both the environment and the farmers who produce the valuable raw materials for textiles.” Nina Schöttle Project Manager Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning at the Aid by Trade Foundation.
