Better Cotton Initiative is now regenerative standard system

As announced at the 2025 Better Cotton Conference in Izmir, Turkey, the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is now officially operating as a regenerative standard system.

This means reinforced farmer support through stronger requirements, targeted capacity strengthening and improved impact measurement. For retailers, brands and suppliers, it provides a reliable means of setting and meeting corporate regenerative sourcing targets, while BCI's traceable offering opens the door to product-level claims.

Keeping nature, farmers and industry in mind

“Our transition to a regenerative standard system is about unlocking a triple win for nature, farmers and industry. When nature thrives, farmers thrive. And when retailers and brands support those conditions through their sourcing and investment, they help build more resilient supply chains and future-proof the supply of cotton,” comments BCI CEO Nick Weatherill in a press release.

"As the world's largest cotton sustainability organisation, we are uniquely positioned to drive change across the entire cotton supply chain. That’s why we have spent the last year strengthening our system and creating the tools, frameworks and partnerships needed to promote regenerative outcomes at scale,” he adds.

Over the past year, a series of changes were introduced across BCI's system as part of the move. For example recent updates to its Principles and Criteria, which now require BCI farmers to adopt locally regenerative farming practices and set continuous improvement targets across key environmental and social indicators.

At farm-level, BCI has adapted its investment, capacity strengthening, assurance, impact measurement and member claims to better support and prioritise regenerative farming.

Digitally supported by Co:Farm platform

To support these efforts digitally, BCI has acquired the team and technology behind mobile and web application Co:Farm from Materra, a platform that enables more efficient field-level data collection and reduced administrative burdens for growers and implementing partners.

“Co:Farm is more than a technology acquisition. We are investing in the infrastructure needed to support regenerative agriculture and the transparency the market increasingly expects. Very few organisations can take an innovation proven with 10,000 farmers and scale it across one of the world’s largest farmer networks. Combining BCI’s scale and reach with Co:Farm’s technology and expertise will help deliver the data, visibility and assurance needed to translate regenerative ambition into impact,” explains Alia Malik, BCI’s chief commercial officer.

One example of BCI’s regenerative approach is the Gujarat Regenerative Agriculture Project, which was launched in partnership with H&M in India in 2025. Its aim is to increase support for farmers adopting or expanding regenerative practices. More than 12,000 farmers in Gujarat are currently being trained and supported through the project, with 1,764 receiving incentive payments in the first year of the project. To date, 1,700 metric tonnes of traceable BCI lint cotton have been linked to H&M’s supply chain, representing 50 percent of the project's initial target.