2020 Organic Cotton Round Table Summit | Virtual

Global OCRT Summit 2020

The worldwide organic cotton community is warmly invited to join our 2020 Global OCRT Summit, which will be based around the theme of driving impact through the journey to regenerative organic cotton.

There are many reasons why we need to rapidly scale the growth of organic cotton, yet doing so can present a number of challenges, not least because it takes several years for farmers to transition to organic.

This two-hour Summit will hear voices from across the sector, sharing their motivations, actions, and valuable reflections on how they’ve successfully tackled this challenge head on. The Summit will also involve interactive discussions so that participants will feel inspired and equipped to take practical action on their own journey.

In order to enable as many people to engage as possible, the Summit will be repeated over two days, with different panelists – please select the date that best suits your timezone, or you are welcome to join both!

• Option 1 – December 16, 2020 @ 4-6pm CET > Register here
• Option 2 – December 17, 2020 @ 10am-12pm CEST  > Register here

OCRT Regional Meetings

This year’s OCRT Regional Meetings will mirror the regional breakout sessions that would normally be a big part of our in-person Global OCRT Summit. One benefit of hosting these meetings virtually this year is that it enables much wider and more representative participation, and we’re very excited by the opportunities this brings. In line with this, we are pleased to announce that simultaneous translation will be available for several of the meetings. 

Another big benefit is that, with the meetings being held in a series rather than simultaneously, you can join as many as you like (time zone permitting) rather than having to choose just one! We’ve tried to select times that accommodate both the region itself and international stakeholders, but it wasn’t always possible. As such, all meetings will be recorded, except the member-only meeting for China.

Key details of each meeting are provided below, but remember to sign up to our OCRT HUB to access all pre-reads, to hear the latest announcements, and to engage with other OCRT members.

Africa 

Monday November 23 @ 9-11am EST / 3-5pm CET & WAT / 5-7pm EAT | Join the OCRT HUB to access the recording

This meeting is being hosted by the OCRT’s Pan-Africa Sourcing Working Group. Join us to learn more about the current context of organic cotton production and policy in Africa, discuss sector-wide strategies for better market access and integrated value chain development, and share best practices on designing organic cotton farming systems from the farm to the market. 

French simultaneous translation will be available.

Agenda

• • • Updates from Textile Exchange’s Pan-Africa Sourcing Working Group​
    • Policy incentives for organic agriculture and cotton production in Africa​
    • Status of organic cotton production in Africa and globally​
    • Panel: Organic cotton production and practices across the African continent​
      • • Insights from Tanzania, Uganda, Burkina Faso, and Mali​
        • Q&A​
    • Breakouts:​
      • • Organic cotton farming systems ​
        • Market access​
        • Collective action to promote organic cotton from Africa​
    • Key take-aways​

South & Southeast Asia 

Tuesday December 1 @ 5-7am EST / 11am-1pm CET / 3.30-5.30pm IST | Register here

This meeting will be co-hosted by Textile Exchange and the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) under the theme “Securing a green recovery: building back better by supporting organic cotton farmers.” The focus will be on in-conversion farming, the direct-to-farm sourcing model, and the new frontier of impact data.  

Agenda

• • • Update from Textile Exchange
    • Panel: In-conversion | Defining a playbook for supporting in-conversion.
      • • Lavinia Muth, Armedangels
        • Amit Shah, Spectrum
        • Amish Gosai, Textile Exchange
        • Sumit Gupta, GOTS
        • Q&A
    • Panel: Best Sourcing practice, Securing your supply in the first mile of organic cotton
      • • Jaskiran Warrik, OCA
        • Velavan K, Inditex
        • Hitesh Sharam, H&M
        • Atul Mittal, Pratibha
        • Q&A
    • Tools by Textile Exchange to support in-conversion and best sourcing practices
    • Impact data: The new frontier
      • • Amish Gosai, Textile Exchange
        • Bart Vollaard, OCA

Latin America & the Caribbean 

Wednesday December 2 @ 12-2pm EST / 2-4pm BRT / 6-8pm CET | Register here 

It’s an exciting time for organic cotton in Latin America and the Caribbean and we invite you to join us in establishing a strong regional network. In this meeting, organic cotton producer groups and support organizations will share their experiences and best practices and highlight the unique benefits of organic cotton grown in this region, particularly when it comes to environmental regeneration and social equality. The focus will be on scaling organic cotton production and, together, we will draft a strategic plan to accelerate these efforts. This meeting will be co-hosted by Textile Exchange, EMBRAPA, and the FAO.

Spanish and Portuguese simultaneous translation will be available. 

Agenda

• • • Panels:
      • Insights from regional producer groups
      • Insights from the market
      • Technology and new challenges
    • Breakouts:
      • How to break the barriers for a bigger OC production?
      • How to how to build a stronger production chain?
      • Prepare for new challenges
    • Quick take-aways

China (member-only) 

Tuesday December 8 @ 8-10am EST / 2-4pm CET / 9-11pm CST | Register here 

During this member-only meeting facilitated by Joy Luxford, we will have a frank and open discussion (under Chatham House rules and without being recorded) around how we might collectively work on the social risks in Xinjiang, China. The session aims to garner feedback from participants and explore some of the topical questions that our members are facing. It will also seek to get to a collective view on how the community could work together and what role Textile Exchange might play in discussions and actions going forward.   

USA 

Wednesday December 9 @ 12-2pm EST / 6-8pm CET | Register here   

Scaling organic cotton production in the USA: Why and How. Speakers from Textile Exchange, the Organic Trade Association, The Organic Center, Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative, and Independent Organic Services will address the role organic cotton production plays in mitigating climate change and discuss obstacles and opportunities to advancing domestic organic cotton production. Interactive, action-oriented, sessions will capture your suggestions for changes at the farm, brand, and government levels.  

EMENA & Central Asia 

Friday December 11 @ 6-8am EST / 12-2pm CET / 2-4pm TRT / 5-7pm KGT | Register here 

This meeting will examine the “four Ts” that are crucial for this region’s organic cotton sector to flourish and to benefit from the growing global demand: Transparency, Traceability, Technology, and Trustworthiness. How far have we come, and where do we go from here? Join us to hear insights from those deeply involved in this region’s organic cotton sector, and to participate in meaningful conversations as we look to strengthen organic cotton’s future in this region. 

Turkish simultaneous translation will be available.