OUR SERVICES: SOCIAL IMPACT
Empowering people to succeed and thrive
Focus on workers’ rights, gender equality and sustainable livelihoods.
People are at the heart of any successful business.
For brands and retailers, the health, wellbeing and success of farmers and their families is of paramount importance in sustaining a robust and resilient supply chain.
New and more stringent regulation demands that businesses put a greater focus on labour and human rights along the value chain.
The value of empowering women – giving them the skills, knowledge and opportunity to succeed – is increasingly well understood in powering economies and maintaining successful businesses.
Our work has already transformed the lives of millions of people in cotton-farming communities across India, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Egypt and Peru.
Our training and programmes help farmers to be more productive and profitable, and our work helps to improve worker protection, boost gender rights and improve people’s business skills.
CottonConnect can help you empower people and improve the social impact of your sourcing in the following ways:
Empowering women for success
More than 300,000 women have taken part in our Women in Cotton programmes, giving them training and education in everything from health and rights to running their own businesses.
By improving the knowledge, understanding and confidence of women, we can help to improve their health and wellbeing, improve gender parity, enhance their rights and increase their access to enterprise development. You can read more about it here.
The impact of our work with Primark is testament to our approach to empowering women for the benefit of brands and retailers.
Improving farmer skills to help them succeed
By focusing on financial literacy and financial management we encourage farmers to see their farm as a business.
More than 25,600 farmers have benefited from our Farmer Business School programmes, giving them training in financial literacy and management and introducing them to new technology, microfinance and credit.
Ensuring no child labour and respect for human rights
By optimising your supply chain you will improve the traceability and verification of your procurement, so that cotton is produced with respect for Human Rights principles. We aim for decent working conditions, including no child labour and gender inclusion in all our programmes. You can read our Child Labour Statement here.
We are committed to ensuring the labour rights of workers employed within our programmes and on the farms which are a part of its projects. And we will not make use of, or encourage any form of, forced labour and spread awareness of the issue within the communities in which we work. Here’s a more detailed statement of our position on Forced Labour and Workers’ Rights.
Committing to health and safety
Addressing labor concerns fosters supply chain transparency. Our Responsible Business for Gins Code of Conduct enhances ginning standards, a pivotal process linking farmers to spinners in the cotton supply chain.
This vital mechanical separation of cotton bolls from seeds and stalks often goes unnoticed despite engaging tens of thousands seasonally, impacting ethical supply chains. Implementing our Code ensures Gins adopt top-notch sector-relevant standards and policies, fostering a hygienic workplace and upholding statutory rights for gin workers.
Through our training we promote the use of personal protective equipment, safe working conditions and human rights, providing a better working environment for everybody.
Download the factsheet for more information.
Get in touch
Now you know what we do, why not find out how we might be able to support you. Get in touch now.