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TEXTILE EXCHANGE ORGANIC COTTON ROUND TABLE

Out of the Box Series 2: West Africa’s Cotton Trailblazers

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Coming Soon! A powerful and thought-provoking interview series that will give you a unique insight into the wealth of talent, knowledge and leadership that exists in West Africa’s cotton sector; a sector that is fast gaining attention on the international stage.

While you wait, check out the highlights video from the week of events!

In September 2018, Textile Exchange launched its first Regional Organic Cotton Round Table (OCRT) in West Africa, held in Koudougou, Burkina Faso, in collaboration with CRS and USDA during the inaugural Salon International du Cotton et du Textiles (SICOT). The week of events bought together pioneers driving sustainability across West Africa’s cotton sector, and we were fortunate to have an Emmy-nominated documentary producer, David Bowen-Jones of TVPP, with us to capture their thoughts on camera.

The result is a series of powerful interviews, which we are delighted to soon be able to share with you. Two interviews will be added to this page each month between March and October 2019. Keep an eye out for announcements of new releases in Textile Exchange’s monthly newsletter, or via our Facebook and twitter.

Out of the Box Series 1: Business as if people mattered

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We took the opportunity during the 2016 Organic Cotton Round Table (OCRT) in Hamburg to interview some of the industry’s most inspiring and “out of the box” thinkers, and were fortunate to have Emmy-nominated documentary producer David Bowen-Jones with us to capture their thoughts on camera. The result was an inspiring and thought-provoking series of ten interviews, which we are happy to be able to share with you here.

Business as if People Mattered

In his Out of the Box interview, Leo Johnson discusses his idea that developments in technology could enable a ‘radically distributed’ ownership structure, encouraging greater freedom and participation.

Efficiency From Stability And Trust

Heinrich Schultz, Managing Director of OrganiMark, South Africa, discusses how securing commitment builds trust, increases efficiency and reduces cost.

Creating Stakeholder Value

Integrity expert Joy Saunders discusses how integrity benefits all stakeholders, and research which shows that the greater the integrity of a company, the greater its competitiveness and profitability.

The Economy Of Love

Helmy Abouleish, CEO of SEKEM, Egypt, introduces the company’s holistic approach to sustainable development, which ensures the added value of their products is redistributed fairly through the supply chain.

Engaging The Consumer

Roland Stelzer, Managing Partner of Elmer & Zweifel, explains how the company went from selling throw-away medical products in 1987 to, today, selling organic Fairtrade garments through its brand Cotonea.

Sealed With A Handshake

Jimmy Wedel, President of the award-winning Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative, urges brands to educate consumers and leverage their knowledge of organic food to build demand for organic cotton.

Using Data To Drive The Market

Peter Melchett, Policy Director at the Soil Association UK, explains that, to grow the market, we need to use the wealth of data and evidence now available to convince brands and retailers that it’s in their own interest to source organic cotton.

Harnessing The Power Of The Market

Anita Chester, Head of Sustainable Raw Materials at the C&A Foundation, talks about the importance of finding ways to work collaboratively, both at the government level and at the brand level, to harness the power of the market and create real change.

Cooperation, Transparency & Faith

Michael Sligh, Program Director at RAFI USA, describes the need for more honest and open conversation across the supply chain to build synergy and aid peer learning, proposing a new model built on cooperation, transparency and good faith.

Shifting from product to people

Bob Bejan, Microsoft’s GM Communication Strategy, discusses the shift from a product to people-based mentality. Witnessing a “drumbeat of shared aspirations”, he observes how, across industries and societies, we are increasingly reaching for the same goals.