Cotton Outlook Special Feature: Beyond the label — Cotton traceability from fiber forward

On World Cotton Day, we celebrate not only the “fiber that clothes the world”, but also the people and processes that shape its journey from seed to shelf.

Every claim about sustainable cotton, whether organic, regenerative, or low carbon, starts with a single question: where did this cotton come from? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t always clear. Cotton often changes hands multiple times before it is spun into yarn, woven into fabric, or stitched into a final garment. In many supply chains, growers are abstracted from the process, and their commendable practices at the start of the journey deserve to be carried all the way to the shelf, ensuring every claim is backed by proof and every story stays intact.