Better Cotton announces Nisha Onta as speaker for Amsterdam conference

Onta is a climate change and gender expert who leads Governance Lab’s work to design and conduct policy research for the sustainable development of Nepal, bringing together experienced researchers, policymakers and other partners. She also acts as regional coordinator for Asia at WOCAN (Women Organising for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management), a women-led global network of professionals committed to organisational change for gender equality and environmentally sustainable development, Better Cotton said in a press release.

A recipient of the NORAD fellowship and the UNDP Human Development Academic Fellowship, Onta completed her PhD in gender and development studies from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, and is engaged in research in South and Southeast Asia related to climate change adaptation, livelihood diversification and gender. Onta has participated and presented papers in various climate change workshops and conferences, and is actively involved in gender and climate change scholar networks.

Onta will give a keynote speech at the conference, introducing the theme of Climate Action. This theme will bring climate experts from a range of sectors together, building on the discussions on climate action held at the Better Cotton Conference 2022, where participants and speakers sought to understand the climate risks facing the cotton sector and explore the implications for future production.

This year’s conference will be split into four themes, highlighting key priorities from Better Cotton’s 2030 Strategy and for the cotton sector at large: Climate Action, Livelihoods, Traceability and Data, and Regenerative Agriculture. Each of these themes will be introduced by a keynote speech from an internationally recognised thought leader. The three remaining keynote speakers, as well as further details on the conference themes and sessions, will be announced in the coming weeks and months.

Additionally, Better Cotton will be hosting the welcome reception for the Better Cotton Conference 2023 at Fashion for Good. The Fashion for Good Museum in Amsterdam tells the stories behind the clothes you wear and how your choices can have a positive impact. A must-visit for anyone interested in fashion, sustainability or innovation, all attendees will gain exclusive access to the museum and a guided tour around the ‘Knowing Cotton Otherwise’ exhibition.

‘Knowing Cotton Otherwise’ sits at the intersection of fashion, art and social change, highlighting the relationship between cotton and the fashion industry, the role of cotton in an increasingly intertwined web of global cultures, and the sustainable innovations driving its circular transformation.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)