BCI

Better Cotton Initiative. Sustainability program for cotton farming. Not organic, but improved practices.

BCI (Better Cotton Initiative, now "Better Cotton") is a sustainability program promoting improved cotton farming practices worldwide.

What It Is

Better Cotton is:

  • A voluntary sustainability standard
  • Training and support for cotton farmers
  • Mass balance tracking system
  • Not organic certification

What It Covers

Better Cotton standards address:

  • Water efficiency
  • Pesticide reduction
  • Soil health
  • Worker conditions
  • Farm economics

vs Organic

Better Cotton Organic
Improved practices Strict organic rules
Pesticides reduced No synthetic pesticides
Mass balance system Segregated supply chain
Lower premium Higher premium
Larger scale Smaller scale

Better Cotton allows synthetic inputs; organic doesn't.

Mass Balance

BCI uses "mass balance" - credits traded rather than physical cotton tracked. Products labelled "Better Cotton" support BCI farmers but may not contain their actual cotton.

This is controversial. Critics prefer segregated organic supply chains.

On Labels

Products may show:

  • BCI member logo
  • "Supporting Better Cotton"
  • "Made with Better Cotton"

Significance

BCI represents mainstream sustainability improvement - not the highest standard, but broadly implemented across major brands.

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