Primark, CottonConnect, and RUDI celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme (PSCP) in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. The celebration was attended by 150 women farmers associated with the programme from across Gujarat.
A media statement said Primark, CottonConnect and RUDI developed and launched the PSCP in India in 2013 with 1,251 women farmers with the aim to understand and reduce the environmental impact of cotton production, to support and improve the livelihoods of farmers, and to change the way Primark sources its cotton.
PSCP works particularly with female farmers in India to increase their economic empowerment and self-reliance. The partners also wanted to address cotton’s complex supply chain and set up a traceable cotton supply chain using CottonConnect’s TraceBale, which helps track and segregate the cotton from farmers in the PSCP to Primark’s supply-chain ginners and spinners.
Now PSCP operates in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. By August last year, 2,52,800 farmers had completed the three-year programme, or are enrolled in it, it said.
Environment impact
Quoting Katharine Stewart, Group Corporate Responsibility Director, Associated British Foods, the statement said: “Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme’s 10-year milestone is a testament to our commitment towards reducing the impact on the environment and supporting women farmer livelihoods along with improving the way we source our cotton. Cotton is the primary natural fibre in over half of Primark’s clothing products, and improving how it is farmed is highly significant in our journey towards sustainability. What started as a pilot is now one of the largest initiatives of its kind by any retailer in the world and has trained more than 252,800 farmers to date. I would like to congratulate our partners CottonConnect and SEWA for their expertise and support, which has made this a success.”
Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect, said creating sustainable, long-lasting change in cotton-growing communities is challenging and something that no single organisation can achieve alone. The PSCP has brought CottonConnect’s technical expertise and SEWA’s on-the-ground reach to cotton farmers to achieve Primark’s vision to source sustainable cotton. Over 10 years the partnership has shown significant results for the programme farmers, their families, and the broader community, and in establishing traceable cotton supply chains, Alison Ward said.
Heena Dave, Executive Director, RUDI Multitrading Company Ltd, said: “I am delighted to be celebrating 10 years of Primark’s Sustainable Cotton Programme. It’s an important milestone, and I would like to congratulate all partners involved.”
Stating that women play an important role in cotton farming in India, she said the PSCP supports women through sustainable cotton production and has positively influenced the farming communities. The programme has increased the productivity and profitability of women farmers in India, she said.