Get ready to hear about some cotton like you’ve never heard before folks! Brace yourself as we take you on a journey to Haiti, where Timberland, The North Face, Supreme and Vans joined forces to grow the first-ever verified regenerative cotton crop in the country. That’s right, “verified”! Isn’t that just amazing? Let’s dive deeper into this groundbreaking moment.
Timberland, the holding company behind some of your favorite brands, signaled a new commitment to sustainable farming. They went from focusing on organic cotton to regenerative cotton agriculture practices. You may be asking, what’s the difference? Well, regenerative practices focus on soil health, proper water retention, and local economic benefits. And let’s not forget the chemical input management. It’s all about doing more than just “sustaining” the land; it’s about improving it! Timberland had already reintroduced cotton to Haiti following a 30-year absence from the country in collaboration with the Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA). After field experiments and a complete data review, the company unveiled its first regenerative cotton products in the spring of 2021, including the coolest kicks and a tote bag.
Corporate sustainability claims are now under more aggressive scrutiny by regulators and politicians, and rightly so. Last year, Kohl’s and Walmart were caught falsely advertising their rayon products as bamboo since 2015, resulting in them paying a whopping $5.5 million in combined penalties. Yikes! To avoid such terrible situations, VF Corp and SFA partnered with Data Economics Company to create a farm data tracking service to verify regenerative cotton crops. With this service, farmers who meet the standard set by SFA to produce cotton that is verified as regenerative will profit, not only from the cotton sale but from the data that proves the crop is regenerative.
Hold it right there! We understand you want to know more, but this is our favorite part — smallholder farmers now have a say in their relationship with big brands. We know right, it’s hilarious! The balance of power in the industry is slightly shifting, and it’s good news! The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations also believes that empowering small farms and connecting them directly to larger brands and markets is essential in bringing sustainability through to the consumer end market.
Oh, we almost forgot! Do you know where regenerative agriculture is not a new concept? Yes, you guessed right – in Haiti, where farmers recognize all the practices of regenerative agriculture as techniques they and their parents have used in the past. Also, don’t forget that Haiti is not one of the top-five cotton producing nations, which face harsh competition from China, the US, India, Brazil, and Pakistan.
All in all, the regenerative practice is still a new and emerging concept in developed markets like the United States and Europe. Still, this move by Timberland and VF Corp in Haiti could serve as a blueprint for other companies looking to improve their supply chain’s sustainability practices. Thanks for staying with us till the end. Now, don’t forget to leave with a smile on your face!
Serious News: cnbc
