Boubacar Kamissokho, Chief of Party for CRS’ RECOLTE Project in Burkina Faso, discusses the market conditions required to drive technology and production in Burkina Faso, and also tells us about the potential the new organic cotton gin will bring.

Carla Brown-Ndiaye, Country Representative for CRS in Burkina Faso, tells us how CRS supports organic cotton farmers, the values and integrity that guide how CRS operates, and the importance of working collaboratively.

Christian La Pietra-Fung, USAID Country Representative for Burkina Faso, talks of the importance he sees in growing economic optimism in Burkina Faso in light of its rapidly growing population and security issues, and the role that organic cotton can play in this.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Talk To Us
Tell us what you think and share your ideas!

Join Our Annual OCRT Meetings
Participate in our face-to-face meetings and help shape the future of sustainability in fiber production.

Sign Up To Our Task Forces
Together we can build a more sustainable and rewarding business for the organic cotton sector.

  For more information, don’t hesitate to contact the team at: OCRT@textileexchange.org