Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)
URL:
bettercotton.org
Partnership member since
2014/12
Headquarter:
Chemin de Balexert 7-9,1219 Châtelaine, Switzerland, Geneva
Number of employees:
65
Self-presentation
The Better Cotton Initiative exists to make global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in and better for the sector’s future. BCI aims to transform cotton production worldwide by developing Better Cotton as a sustainable mainstream commodity. To achieve this mission, BCI works with a diverse range of stakeholders across the cotton supply chain to promote measurable and continuing improvements for the environment, farming communities and the economies of cotton-producing areas.
Memberships
Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), ISEAL
Reports
Nichtregierungsorganisationen, Gewerkschaften, Standardorganisationen und Verbände kommen im Review-Prozess einer angepassten Berichtspflicht nach und beantworten diese drei Leitfragen:
BCI has participated in the Xinjiang Risk Webinar convened by Textilbündnis on 27 October 2020.
Over the past year, due to Covid-19, BCI has not been able to participate in the annual member meeting in November.
Gender: BCI’s first gender strategy was developed and a gender working group has been created within the organisation to oversee the implementation of the strategy. A copy of the strategy can be found on the BCI website: https://bettercotton.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/BCI_GenderStrategy_FINAL.pdf
Decent Work and Forced labour: In March 2020, BCI set up an expert Task Force on Forced Labour and Decent Work to review selected elements of the Better Cotton Standard System. Based on this review, the Task Force
produced recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the system in identifying, preventing, mitigating and remediating forced labour risks. You can follow the progress on the BCI website https://bettercotton.org/task-force-on-forced-labour-and-decent-work/
Greenhouse Gas Emissions: We are working to quantify the GHG emissions of Better Cotton production by country and understand the main drivers of emissions in each region. This will help inform our climate change mitigation programming and target setting.
Decent Work and Forced Labour:
BCI will focus on strengthening its capabilities for ensuring decent work through capacity building for staff, Implementing Partners and third-party verifiers, enhancing due diligence for selecting and retaining Implementing Partners, and revising the assurance processes to better identify and mitigate forced labour risks.
In 2021, BCI intends to pilot a more comprehensive set of decent work activities, including a detailed forced labour risk assessment and civil society engagement tactics, in one or two high priority regions – India and Pakistan. There are also plans to develop ‘transitional indicators’ for forced labour and revise BCI’s assurance approach, guidance and tools, including worker interview guide, field level checklist and safeguarding protocol.