Bestseller revealed that Only has sourced nearly 3,400 tonnes of African organic cotton this year through a direct-to-farm model, verified by Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), a global standard for cotton farming in Africa.
Bestseller noted that Only converted its popular Blush and Power denim jeans collections, part of its NOOS (Never Out Of Stock) range, to use CmiA organic cotton — marking a milestone as the first time Bestseller’s bestselling products have incorporated this quantity of organic cotton from Africa.
Finn Poulsen, brand director at Only, emphasised the brand’s ability to create meaningful change by increasing its use of organic cotton. He stated: "We have doubled the volume used in products and are committed to increasing our investments to meet our sustainability goals."
Bestseller stressed that direct-to-farm sourcing is key to supporting farmers transitioning from conventionally farmed cotton to the development of transparent and fair organic production.
According to Jonas Meier Sørensen, buying manager at Only, by supporting organic farmers, the brand is addressing the challenges of the global organic cotton market and ensuring the authenticity of its materials.
Sørensen said: "Collaboration is key to driving meaningful impact and building integrity in our organic cotton supply chains. Working with CmiA, we directly support making organic farming an attractive choice for farmers in Africa and can address our social and environmental impact."
With cotton making up more than 40% of its materials, Bestseller said it is committed to expanding its use of organic cotton. The company added it collaborates with CmiA to connect the entire supply chain, from African farmers to fabric mills and aims to source 30% of its total cotton supply from organic or in-conversion cotton by 2025.
Bestseller shared it is confident in meeting this target through the combined efforts across all its brands.
In April, Bestseller’s menswear brand Jack & Jones, in collaboration with Finnish sustainable fibre producer Spinnova, unveiled its second product made with Spinnova fibre and the first consumer product produced at Spinnovas’s jointly owned Woodspin facility.
