Primark, which trades as Penneys in Ireland, has announced a major expansion of its sustainable cotton programme, and intends to train 275,000 cotton farmers in more sustainable farming practices by the end of next year.
The number of farmers involved in the programme will increased by 80%, with nearly 150,000 farmers across India, Bangladesh and Pakistan having been trained to date in how to use fewer chemical pesticides and fertilisers and less water.
An additional 125,000 smallholder cotton farmers across the region will be trained by the end of 2023, and the budget fashion retailer expects to increase the amount of sustainable cotton available for its products to increase by 60% as a result of the expansion.
The sustainable cotton programme was developed by Primark with agronomic experts CottonConnect and the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), and the first pilot scheme was launched in India in 2013, with the aim of reducing the environmental impact and improving the livelihoods of farmers.
Cotton farmers are trained over three years to address an overdependence on chemical fertilisers and pesticides in order to preserve biodiversity and help mitigate against climate change.
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Primark said that farmers in the programme use 40% less chemical pesticides and fertilisers and 10% water per acre, while increasing their yield by an average of 14% and profits by 200% in comparison to control farmers
“Our sustainable cotton programme plays an integral role in our long-term vision to make more sustainable clothes affordable for everyone," said Lynne Walker, director of Primark Cares.
"Over half of our clothes are made with cotton, so by further increasing the number of farmers, we will be able to meet our commitment that all the cotton in our clothing will be organic, recycled or from our programme by 2027.”
Currently less than 40% of Primark clothing is made from recycled fibres or more sustainably sourced material, and just over a quarter of the company's cotton clothes are made using cotton from farmers on the programme. A further 4% are made from organic cotton, and 2% from recycled cotton.
"We are pleased to further our long-standing partnership with Primark to collaborate on the largest programme of its kind by any single retailer in the fashion industry," said Alison Ward, CEO of CottonConnect.
"Any programme at such scale is complex, but working in close collaboration with Primark and the local partners means we are confident we can support Primark’s ambitions and support the livelihoods of thousands of farmers. We look forward to the next stage of this programme and seeing the positive impact it will have for many more farming communities.”
Reema Nanavaty, Leader of SEWA, added: “By partnering with Primark and CottonConnect, we have been able to strengthen the knowledge of women on sustainable cotton farming methods.
"Through our training, we’ve been able to help the farmers reduce production costs, adopt more environmentally friendly farming methods, and ultimately increase their earnings. This programme is proof of how long-term investment in farmers can help build financial resilience for themselves, their families, and communities.
"It’s incredible to see how far this programme has come since 2013 where we started with around 1,200 female cotton farmers in India, to where it is today, improving the livelihoods of more and more farmers across India”.
Photo: Shoppers walking by Penneys store in Dundrum Town Centre in December 2020. (Pic: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie)
