Regenerative agriculture is related to practices that promote soil health and restore organic carbon in the soil. These practices may include reduced tillage, use of cover crops, complex crop rotations, rotation of livestock with crops, and avoiding or minimizing the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, practices that have the potential to transform agricultural soil into a net carbon sink.
Many regenerative practices are already integrated into the Better Cotton Standard System, and as research and conversations about regenerative agriculture evolve, the organization is working to deepen its impact alongside it. Climate-smart agriculture practices will play a more prominent role in Better Cotton’s regulations, following an upcoming revision of the Better Cotton principles and criteria.
It’ll also feature strongly in their strategy towards 2030 and related climate change strategy, which will cover how Better Cotton growers and communities can become more resilient by mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change, reducing carbon emissions, and measuring their progress. To this end, it’s currently in the process of finalizing performance targets and associated indicators to act as drivers of change for the best cotton producers.
Major fashion brands such as Ralph Lauren are a leading example in the industry for its sustainable cotton sourcing in addition to working with Natural Fiber Welding and the Soil Institute in order to establish a fashion future that minimizes carbon dioxide emissions.
Ralph Lauren’s Commitment to Sustainable Cotton
Since August 2020, Ralph Lauren has been producing its RLX Clarus polo shirt, manufactured, they claim, with the world's first high-performance cotton fabric. Using 100% cotton fiber obtained from virgin and recycled cotton, thanks to Natural Fiber Welding’'s latest textile innovations, it allows it to show qualities as a high-performance fiber similar to those shown by other fibers such as polyester and nylon.
In addition, Ralph Lauren has become a member of the The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol® this year to scale its sustainable practices in cotton production.
Ralph Lauren to Work with the Soil Institute to Launch the USRCF
The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation and the Soil Health Institute announced a grant to launch the U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund (USRCF), a farmer-driven science initiative that will support long-term sustainable cotton production in the United States. Its ultimate goal is to remove one million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere by 2026.
The USRCF will initially operate in four states - Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi, and Georgia - and will seek to expand to Alabama, North Carolina, Missouri, California, and Oklahoma, as these nine states account for 85 percent of U.S. cotton production.
The Soil Health Institute will work closely with cotton producers to help them measure and monitor the environmental, social, and economic benefits of soil health management systems in their operations. Through the USRCF, improvements in soil health and carbon sequestration will be measured through an approach developed by the Soil Health Institute called soil health and soil carbon targets.
USRCF will also collaborate with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), specifically those with agricultural programs, to develop greater access to career pathways into decision-making positions in U.S. agriculture and establish mentoring programs to help prepare the next generation of agricultural scientists and leaders.
The USRCF is supported by a $5 million grant from the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation. Cotton currently makes up more than 80 percent of Ralph Lauren Corporation's total material usage. As part of Ralph Lauren's sustainability and global citizenship goals, the company has committed that by 2025, 100 percent of key materials, including cotton, will be sustainably sourced.