This document announces a two-day business event on sustainable and ethical cotton sourcing organized by Innovation Forum on March 16-17, 2015 in London. The event will provide a forum for brands, suppliers, traders and NGO partners to understand issues in the cotton supply chain and collaborate to drive sustainable change. It will include sessions on supply chain risks and transparency, challenges companies face in sourcing cotton sustainably, and engaging with farmers and other stakeholders.

1. For
more
information
on
speaking,
sponsoring
or
attending
please
contact
Tobias.Webb@innovation-­‐forum.co.uk
or
call
+44
(0)
7867
416
646
Sustainable
and
ethical
cotton
sourcing:
How
to
get
it
right,
and
make
it
pay
for
your
business
A
two-­‐day
business
event
organised
by
Innovation
Forum
16-­‐17
March
2015,
Central
London
location
Sponsored
by
and
in
Partnership
with
CottonConnect
Overview:
Cotton
is
increasingly
on
the
corporate
sourcing
agenda
for
a
number
of
important
reasons.
Not
only
is
its
growth
and
harvesting
high
impact
for
farmers
and
agricultural
workers
but
its
growth
has
a
significant
environmental
impact
through
water
and
chemicals
usage.
All
through
the
ginning,
spinning
and
processing
of
cotton
into
textiles
and
in
their
manufacture
into
clothes,
significant
social
and
environmental
impacts
are
known
across
the
value
chain.
Companies
sourcing
cotton,
either
as
traders,
manufacturers
or
in
its
final
form
as
clothing
and
other
materials,
are
increasingly
aware
of
cotton’s
negative
impacts.
Many
are
seeking
to
address
these
through
tracing,
auditing
and
collaborative
partnerships
across
the
supply
chain.
This
event
has
been
created
to
help
brands,
suppliers,
traders
and
key
NGO
partners
understand
both
the
issues
and
how
they
can
collaborate
effectively
to
manage
risk
and
drive
supply
chain
change
that
lasts,
and
is
more
sustainable.
Event
objectives:
• To
provide
both
a
basic
and
advanced
level
forum
for
brands
and
suppliers
who
wish
to
get
started
–
and
improve
-­‐
on
ethical
and
sustainable
cotton
sourcing

2. For
more
information
on
speaking,
sponsoring
or
attending
please
contact
Tobias.Webb@innovation-­‐forum.co.uk
or
call
+44
(0)
7867
416
646
• To
raise
awareness
amongst
companies
up
and
down
the
supply
chain
of
what
can
be
done
to
improve
practices
and
supplier
performance
• To
showcase
best
emerging
practices
and
processes
for
companies
to
leapfrog
from
starting
out
to
delivering
against
objectives
quickly
• To
highlight
the
practical
tools
and
partners
available
to
assist
brands
and
their
suppliers
in
engaging
farmers,
traders,
manufacturers
and
governments
on
sustainable
and
ethical
cotton
issues
Confirmed
speakers
so
far
include:
• Alison
Ward,
CEO,
CottonConnect
• Pramod
Singh,
project
manager
India,
Better
Cotton
Project,
IKEA
• Kate
Larsen,
founder
Suaveco
&
CSRWinWin
(former
Director
The
Children's
Place,
former
Burberry
CSR
Asia).
Another
20-­‐25
speakers
from
business,
NGOs
and
other
experts
will
be
confirmed
by
end
of
October
2014.
Draft
Agenda:
Day
One:
Cotton
sourcing
risks,
transparency
and
tools
9.00
Welcome
and
introductions
9.15
Sourcing
trends:
How
brands
can
better
manage
cotton
supply
risk
Cotton
often
comes
from
countries
and
areas
with
serious
political
risk.
But
how
serious
ARE
these
risks,
and
are
they
growing
for
sourcing
brands?
In
this
opening
session
we’ll
look
at
some
of
the
facts
and
figures
about
who
buys
from
where,
the
risks
they
are
running,
and
whether
cotton
hedging
and
risk
mitigation
strategies
are
taking
account
of
ethical,
reputational
and
sustainability
risk.
• Out
of
the
top
ten
cotton
producers
globally,
only
the
US
and
Australia
could
be
said
to
be
stable
politically.
What
does
sourcing
from
important
but
challenging
producers
such
as
Pakistan
and
China
mean
for
brands?
• The
Uzbekistan
question:
Is
forced
and
child
labour
really
on
the
wane?
Is
the
country
‘safe’
to
be
sourcing
from?
• Are
there
safer
sourcing
markets
–
and
new
emerging
important
ones
–
that
you
can
and
should
include
in
risk
and
mitigation
planning?
Speakers:
10.15
Break
10.45
How
are
brands
responding?
The
headlines
For
sourcing
companies
the
cotton
market
has
been
a
volatile
one
in
recent
years.
According
to
the
2013
Organic
Cotton
Report
by
Textile
Exchange,
overall

3. For
more
information
on
speaking,
sponsoring
or
attending
please
contact
Tobias.Webb@innovation-­‐forum.co.uk
or
call
+44
(0)
7867
416
646
demand
is
growing,
whilst
production
contracts.
Overall
production
of
natural
fibres
fell
3%
in
2013,
whilst
conventional
cotton
production
fell
4.1%
compared
to
2012.
So
markets
are
under
pressure,
whilst
sustainability
and
ethical
expectations
on
brands
are
growing.
In
this
session
we’ll
ask
several
leading
companies
who
buy
finished
cotton
for
an
update
on
their
progress
to
date,
challenges
they
face
and
have
overcome,
and
key
lessons
learned
so
far.
Speakers:
Or:
The
GMO
vs.
Organic
debate:
Where
is
the
industry
headed,
what’s
best
for
farmers?
Speakers:
11.45
What
do
the
campaigners
think
of
progress
so
far
by
brands?
Cotton
sourcing
companies
have
been
under
pressure
for
more
than
a
decade
on
sourcing.
In
this
session
we’ll
ask
some
of
the
NGO
groups
focusing
on
cotton
for
their
views
on
what
they
have
heard
from
companies
at
the
event
and
around
the
world
generally.
We’ll
ask
them
to
also
focus
on
specific
ideas
and
solutions
to
solve
some
of
the
more
serious
sustainability
challenges
in
global
cotton
sourcing
12.45
Lunch
2.00
Breakouts
A) Supply
chain
transparency
one:
How
to
get
started
B) Sustainable
agriculture:
Linking
cotton
with
other
crops
C) Lifecycle
analysis:
water
assessments
3.15
Break
3.45
Breakouts
A) Supply
chain
transparency
two:
Moving
beyond
the
basics
B) Connecting
your
supply
chain
C) Engaging
farmers
one:
How
to
make
the
business
case
5.00
Closing
plenary
for
Day
one:
What
have
we
learned
to
date?
6.00
–
7.30
Networking
drinks
Day
Two:
Stakeholder
engagement,
how
to
deliver
on
policies
9.30
The
farmer
perspective:
Lessons
learned
in
sustainable
agriculture
or:
Water
and
alternatives
to
cotton:
Polyester,
flax,
hemp

4. For
more
information
on
speaking,
sponsoring
or
attending
please
contact
Tobias.Webb@innovation-­‐forum.co.uk
or
call
+44
(0)
7867
416
646
Trends,
rainfed
cotton
or
irrigated
cotton
10.30
Break
Breakouts
A) Technology
1:
Worker/farmer
hotlines
and
mobile
technology
B) Supply
chain
transparency
three:
Advanced
practices
C) Engaging
farmers
two:
Solutions
that
build
confidence
and
deliver
11.00
results
D) Machine
picked
vs.
handpicked:
Can
sustainable
cotton
be
hand
picked?
12.30
Lunch
13.30
Breakouts
A) Other
parts
of
the
supply
chain:
Talking
to
Ginners/Spinners/The
Mill
perspective
B) Merging
social
and
environmental
issues
in
supply
chain
engagement
C) NGO
collaborations:
Top
tips
on
how
to
make
them
work,
and
pay
off
D) Traceability
solutions:
What
are
your
options?
3.15
Break
3.45
Breakouts
A) Talking
to
customers:
Can
it
be
done,
and
how?
B) Engaging
farmers
three:
How
to
make
farmers
into
cotton
sustainability
leaders
C) Pesticide
and
chemicals
use:
Practical
ways
to
minimise
impact
(the
environmental
and
economic
feasibility
of
applying
biological
or
non-­‐
pesticide
methods
for
plant
protection)
5.00
Closing
plenary:
What
have
we
learned,
conclusions
and
steps
for
the
next
12
months
6-­‐00
-­‐
7.00
Networking
session
About
Innovation
Forum
Innovation
Forum
produces
high-­‐level
events
and
analysis
around
the
sustainability
trends
and
opportunities
for
business
in
emerging
markets.
With
over
30
years’
experience
in
the
sustainability
space
the
Innovation
Forum
team
has
developed
an
extensive
readership
and
broader
network
of
senior
CR
and
sustainability
professionals,
along
with
strong
ties
to
NGOs,
academics,
governmental
officials
and
the
media
operating
in
the
space.

5. For
more
information
on
speaking,
sponsoring
or
attending
please
contact
Tobias.Webb@innovation-­‐forum.co.uk
or
call
+44
(0)
7867
416
646
We
research,
organise,
market
and
host
conferences,
alongside
our
sponsors
in
both
London
and
in
emerging
markets
around
the
world.
We
publish
analysis,
interviews
and
Q&A’s
with
leading
players
from
companies,
the
investment
community,
analysts
and
government
figures.
Innovation
Forum
is
founded
and
led
by
Tobias
Webb,
Ian
Welsh
and
Oliver
Bamford,
previously
founder,
editor
and
lead
commercial
at
Ethical
Corporation.
Current
events
include
the
following:
How
business
can
tackle
deforestation
Collaborate
effectively
with
suppliers
and
NGOs,
understand
policy
and
enforcement
trends
28th-­‐29th
October,
2014,
London.
More
details
here.
How
to
effectively
engage
stakeholders
in
frontier
markets
(emerging
markets)
An
exclusive
two-­‐day
executive
training
workshop,
certified
by
the
CSR
Training
Institute
30-­‐31
October,
2014,
London.
More
details
here.
Business
and
human
rights
How
to
get
beyond
policy,
manage
risk
and
build
relationships
10
November,
2014,
London.
More
details
here.
About
Cotton
Connect
CottonConnect
is
a
social
enterprise,
pioneering
a
transparent
and
sustainable
cotton
supply
chain
from
retailers
to
farmers
to
build
a
sustainable
future
for
the
cotton
industry.
We
believe
the
cotton
industry
needs
greater
collaboration
from
retailer
to
farmer
to
address
major
challenges
and
create
a
sustainable
cotton
industry.
Creating
Connections
–
Supply
Chain
Services
We
connect
retailers
with
their
cotton
supply
chain
through
bespoke
programmes
and
technology
and
providing
strategic
advice
on
supply
chains
for
the
future:
•
Value
chain
mapping
-­‐
analysing
transactions
from
garment
to
farmer
•
Connecting
supply
chains
from
farm
to
garment
•
Monitoring
and
evaluation
of
impacts
Developing
the
Future
for
Cotton
Farming
-­‐
Reducing
Impact
and
Increase
Sustainability
We
support
farmers
to
build
more
sustainable
livelihoods
and
reduce
impacts
on
the
environment

6. For
more
information
on
speaking,
sponsoring
or
attending
please
contact
Tobias.Webb@innovation-­‐forum.co.uk
or
call
+44
(0)
7867
416
646
•
Focusing
on
water
and
pesticide
efficiency,
soil
health,
livelihood
enhancement
and
decent
work.
We
develop
tailor
made
scalable
farmer
training
programmes
across
all
standards
and
initiatives
•
For
example
developing
new
models
for
organic
cotton
farming
Our
Team
We
have
an
expert
team
of
35
people
in
the
UK,
India,
Pakistan,
China
and
South
America.
Through
our
farmer
extension
programmes
we
work
with
around
270
farmer
training
experts.
Our
Results
Working
with
22
brands
•
Producing
fibre
for
250
million
garments
Working
with
100,000
farmers
resulting
in
a:
•
15%
reduction
in
pesticide
use
•
15%
reduction
in
water
use
•
6%
increase
in
farmer
income