Problems in emerging markets in the developing world are often so complex that there is very little one company can achieve alone. Hence, a broad coalition of partners has signed the agreement including industry associations, trade unions, NGOs, and the government of the Netherlands.

The agreement has, for the first time, systematically identified the materials companies use and the subsequent quantity of sustainable materials. It is clear that cotton is by far the most frequently used material, of which 56 per cent is conventional cotton and 44 per cent more sustainable cotton.

Now, AGT has reported a substantially larger number of production sites. The new production site list shows the 4,267 sites where participating companies produced goods in the past year. The sharp rise in the number of production sites is a result of more companies signing up to the Agreement, as well as companies gaining more insight into their supply chain and production sites. This is a positive step towards transparency, because if companies gain a better understanding of the value chain, they are in a better position to act on the risks identified. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India