Israel joins Better Cotton Initiative

100 percent of Israeli farmers have signed-up to BCI as a result of the partnership, and Better Cotton from their first harvest is already available.

ICB is starting off with BCI as an implementing partner, providing Israeli producers with capacity building and training on the Better Cotton Standard System. In the next one to two years, ICB intends to develop an Israeli Better Cotton Standard, which they will own and benchmark against the BCI Standard.

“We are delighted to welcome Israel to the BCI programme. This addition represents an important step in our continued efforts to engage globally across a diverse range of farming systems. We look forward to working with the ICB so that other Better Cotton farmers can potentially benefit from their extensive agronomic knowledge, and specialised experience in such areas as water management. ” said Corin Wood-Jones, BCI’s senior programme manager.

“ICB is proud to become a member of the BCI community. We view this membership as a mutual opportunity whereby we envisage both sides benefiting from each other’s strengths in the cotton sector. As an implementing partner, ICB is excited to contribute its experience as a producer organisation while learning from BCI’s culture and global accomplishments,” said Uri Gilad, managing director, ICB.

Israel produces predominantly extra long staple, feeding the Better Cotton supply chain with the highest quality cotton fibre. Many BCI members use extra long staple to produce high-quality textiles. With the addition of Israel, BCI now operates in 21 countries worldwide.

Embedding the BCI Standard into national and sub-national agricultural practices allows BCI to share the responsibility for Better Cotton worldwide with local organisations well-placed to oversee implementation in the field. Maximising results through strategic partnerships with organisations like ICB is a key element of establishing Better Cotton as a more sustainable mainstream commodity. (HO)

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