Fairtrade Italia shines a spotlight on the certified cotton supply chain

Fairtrade Italia is drawing attention to the cotton supply chain, which today involves 100 million rural families in 65 countries, and is inviting Italian textile companies to regard certified traceability as a competitive advantage, also in light of the new European regulatory framework.

The hidden costs of cotton

Global cotton production stands at approximately 25 million tonnes per year and covers almost 30 million hectares of agricultural land. Although 60% of the world's fibre is grown by small-scale farmers in developing countries, the market is heavily influenced by state subsidies and the large industrial volumes of countries such as the United States and China. This situation generates high price volatility and keeps small-scale agricultural producers in a state of poverty and indebtedness.

Added to this imbalance are considerable ecological impacts: conventional cultivation accounts for 6% of the world's pesticides and 16% of its insecticides, requires up to 3.644 cubic metres of water per tonne and uses genetically modified seeds for 75%, with high purchasing costs that deplete soil biodiversity. Along the manufacturing stages of ginning, spinning and packaging, the cost and time pressures of fast fashion ultimately expose workers to arduous shifts, inadequate wages and the risk of child labour during harvesting.

The Fairtrade model for the supply chain

Against this backdrop, Fairtrade Italia plays a role by promoting the international Fairtrade certification system in Italy since 1994, for transparent and responsible supply chains, operating as a shared governance infrastructure. Through the Fairtrade Standards for Cotton and Textiles, the system rebalances relations between producers and the market throughout the entire supply chain, from field to finished garment.

There are two key instruments: the Fairtrade Minimum Price, which acts as a safety net against price crashes, and the Fairtrade Premium, the additional sum that cooperatives manage independently to fund schools, clinics and infrastructure, ensuring stability where the conventional market creates uncertainty. It is worth noting that in 2025, purchases of certified cotton in Italy generated 134.273 euros in Premium for the farming communities of origin.

Alongside the economic guarantees are rigorous environmental and social criteria: the organisation's standards prohibit genetically modified seeds and harmful chemicals, enabling approximately 60% of Fairtrade-certified cotton to also obtain organic certification.

In the subsequent manufacturing stages, the supply chain is verified by the independent organisation Flocert to ensure lawful employment contracts and safety in the facilities. The model therefore focuses both on the origin and quality of the raw material and on the people and communities involved in its production.

Traceability and new European rules

Certified traceability is also assuming increasing importance in light of the European regulatory framework. Directive (EU) 2024/825 on empowering consumers, applicable from 27 September 2026, prohibits generic environmental claims without evidence and permits sustainability labels only when they are based on independent certification systems. The Espr Regulation will also introduce a digital passport for textile products, with verifiable information on the origin of raw materials. For fashion and sports companies, a certified supply chain thus becomes the basis for communicating credibly and in compliance.

A specific example

Among the most recent collaborations, the one between Fairtrade and Simond, a long-established mountaineering and climbing brand of the Decathlon Group since 2008, shows how these principles can be translated into products, including technical clothing.

The brand has in fact developed a new clothing collection (T-shirt, hoodie and cap) made from Fairtrade-certified cotton, with the aim of combining the technical features and comfort of the garments with a specific focus on the origin of the raw material and the conditions of the farming communities involved in its production.

A project described in the documentary "Every Move Counts", through the eyes of mountaineer Jean Rouaux. During a trip to India, the athlete follows the entire cotton supply chain, placing people's stories at the centre to demonstrate how every conscious purchasing choice can have a real impact on local producers.

The comment

“The textile supply chain is among the most complex and fragmented globally, with social and environmental costs that often remain invisible to consumers,” says Paolo Pastore, General Manager of Fairtrade Italia. “The new European rules require companies to provide verifiable evidence to support what they communicate. Independent certification of the supply chain, from field to finished garment, offers this guarantee and safeguards the dignity of the original growers. We invite Italian fashion and sports brands to make transparency a competitive advantage: the collaboration with Simond demonstrates that ethics and high technical performance can coexist in the same garment.”

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.