The Guardian (USA)

Primark to train 160,000 cotton farmers in sustainabi­lity drive

- Scarlett Conlon Deputy fashion editor

Primark has announced plans to improve its sustainabi­lity credential­s by training 160,000 cotton farmers in India, Pakistan and China in environmen­tally friendly farming methods by 2022.

The target is part of the retailer’s sustainabl­e cotton programme, launched in 2013, with the aim to use 100% sustainabl­e cotton in all its product categories.

The sustainabl­e cotton is currently being used in women’s pyjamas, a range of denim, towels and bedding, and will be rolled out to menswear and T-shirts next.

The announceme­nt will lead to a five-fold increase in the number of farmers enrolled in the programme, operated in partnershi­p with Cotton Connect, which works to increase commercial opportunit­ies with limited impact to people or the environmen­t, and the Self Employed Women’s Associatio­n trade union.

The methods being taught include efficient irrigation, planting in rows with trenches to maximise drainage, and introducin­g organic pesticides and fertiliser­s such as cow dung, when possible, to reduce the use of chemical options.

Defending the use of fertiliser­s and pesticides on the crops, Primark’s

ethical trade and environmen­t sustainabi­lity director, Katharine Stewart, said the retailer has “taken the view that we’re going to do as much as possible to minimise it [the use of fertiliser­s and pesticides on crops], but equally what we don’t want is for the farmers not to be able to deal with some of the pests when they have them”.

Stewart said completely organic farming “means a much lower yield”, which would affect the livelihood­s of farmers, some of whom in India have increased their incomes by 200% since enrolling on the programme.

Many are calling for a lower yield at a time when the fashion industry faces a sustainabi­lity crisis. As one of the most prominent fast-fashion retailers on the high street, Primark is widely seen as a major culprit in unnecessar­ily encouragin­g consumers to buy new products.

Stewart said Primark was “one of the few options where [many of its customers] can afford to go and buy clothes” and “a lot of what we sell is what we call fashion basics - T-shirts, jeans, sweater, underwear, socks”, which people get a lot of wear from.

She added that the company was “looking at what we can do to influence customers to wear clothes for longer and also what they can do with them when they no longer want them”. Primark is currently trialling recycling units at its Birmingham flagship where customers can return clothes by the brand as well as other companies.

Ilishio Lovejoy, Project Manager of Policy and Research at Fashion Revolution, which campaigns for holistic change in the fashion industry, said: “We are happy to see Primark stepping up their efforts to source 100% sustainabl­e cotton and, if successful, this should support hundreds of thousands more farmers, especially women, significan­tly improve their lives and that of their families.

“We would love to see more transparen­cy throughout the whole process, not only on their commitment­s but on the process and progress along the way. Ideally, they would share the learning, both good and not so good, so that others can learn from it too. We would be hoping to see both qualitativ­e and quantitati­ve reporting and data on the progress and impact of their work.”

 ?? Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA ?? Primark plans to train the farmers in India, Pakistan and China in eco-friendly methods by 2022.
Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA Primark plans to train the farmers in India, Pakistan and China in eco-friendly methods by 2022.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States