The Polish clothing company LPP, owner of the Reserved, Cropp, House, Mohito and Sinsay brands has partnered with Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) – an internationally recognized standard for sustainable cotton production in Africa. The activities undertaken by the Aid by Trade Foundation – the initiator of Cotton Made in Africa, are in line with the strategic goals of LPP, assuming a consistent increase in the share of environmentally friendly products, as well as the implementation of best practices and production standards supporting the sustainable development of the textile industry.
Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), established in 2005, is one of the leading international initiatives for sustainable cotton production and supply chain transparency in the textile industry. This internationally recognized standard is designed to help small African farmers establish business relationships with fashion companies. Thanks to the unique formula of cooperation, the activities undertaken by CmiA contribute to the improvement of the social standards of approximately one million farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. The funds obtained from the paid use of the CmiA license are allocated to finance training in improving the quality of crops and environmentally friendly methods of growing cotton, improving the working conditions of farmers, as well as promoting gender equality in Africa and respecting children’s rights. Additionally, the local community benefits from community projects in the areas of education, child health and safety, and supporting African women in the local labor market.
– At LPP, we are aware that the sustainable development of our company will be possible when we strive to implement solutions limiting our impact on the environment at every stage of the supply chain. Joining the Cotton made in Africa initiative was another step for us in the search for new sources of cotton grown in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. African cotton marked with the CmiA standard offers an excellent alternative to this raw material, which so far has mainly been sourced from Asia. Thanks to this cooperation with the Aid by Trade Foundation, we can also be sure that the cotton obtained by us is grown not only with respect to the principles of sustainability, but also with respect to appropriate work standards for farmers or cotton processing workers – comments Justyna Weryk, manager for Sustainable Development.
Under this agreement, LPP has contracted the purchase of cotton which will be compliant with the CmiA standard, the quantity of which will allow for the production of as many as 60 million products with a composition of 95 to 100 percent share of this raw material. This means that as much as 20 percent of LPP collection brands planned for sale in 2022 will be made from sustainably sourced cotton. Compared to the world average, one kilogram of CmiA cotton generates up to 13 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, it only uses 2 instead of 1,563 liters of water to grow it, because CmiA cotton is not artificially irrigated.
– The possibility of using sources that ensure the production of cotton grown with much lower CO2 emissions and the limited use of natural resources is another important step in the implementation of the LPP sustainable development strategy “For People For Our Planet”, assuming a gradual increase in the share of products in our brand that are more environmentally friendly. Transparency provided to us by the formula of building a network of contacts between cotton producers and suppliers, adopted by the Aid by Trade Foundation, was also important. Thanks to this, we have a direct influence on the choice of the source of the raw material used in the production of our collections, the first of which – marked with the Cotton made in Africa certificate – will be available to our customers in stores this year. An important element in this cooperation was also the fact that the Cotton made in Africa initiative also means real support for the local community through activities aimed at transferring knowledge, improving the quality of life, and at the same time protecting our planet – says Dorota Jankowska-Tomków, ESG Director at LPP.
In 2020, Cotton made in Africa partnered with about 1 million African farmers, whose crops brought about 630 thousand tons of cotton. It produced a total of 276 million items of clothing marked with a certificate confirming the origin of the raw material from sustainable African crops. – At LPP, we believe that thanks to a network of contacts, which includes about 500 partners forming the CmiA supply chain in 22 countries, this initiative has a chance to bring real and lasting changes in the textile sector in the world – adds Dorota Jankowska-Tomków, ESG Director at LPP.
First Published: January 12, 2022
Source: LPP press office
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