GEELONG – Australian retail chain Cotton On has been awarded 2019 Responsible Retailer Initiative of the Year at the World Retail Congress Awards in Amsterdam, due to its work with the Kenya Cotton Programme, the company’s first ‘sustainable’ cotton programme in Kwale Country, Kenya.
The project aims to improve the livelihoods of the Kwale community by increasing agricultural productivity in the region. Farmers are trained in sustainable cotton farming practices and are assisted in establishing their farms.
Through this partnership, Cotton On funds the training and development of farmers in more sustainable techniques, which include improved water management, soil management, pesticide use and rotation cropping. The company notes that it is also committed to purchasing 100 per cent of the cotton.
