Better Cotton has signed a strategic roadmap with leading authorities in Uzbekistan’s agricultural and textile sectors to accelerate the production of more sustainable cotton across the country and ensure the long-term prosperity of its Better Cotton Programme. At the Better Cotton event in Tashkent held with the participation of representatives from government, civil society, and fashion supply chains, the roadmap was formalised. The agreement is with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Textile and Garment Industry Association (Uztekstilprom).
The roadmap has three core objectives: Align a strategic partnership model and define management, finance and implementation responsibilities; Ensure effective cooperation with programme partners and stakeholders to promote sustainable cotton farming practices; Develop and implement a joint set of measures to eliminate barriers to scale.
Katerina Gorbunova, Country Manager of the Better Cotton Uzbekistan Programme said that this roadmap signals that there is much more to come from Better Cotton in Uzbekistan: “Together with our partners, we can strengthen the foundations of the Uzbekistan programme and develop new solutions to ensure long-term success.”
The roadmap will drive significant improvements to the Better Cotton Uzbekistan Programme
The roadmap will drive immense improvements to the Programme by leveraging the network and resources of partners to streamline farmer enrolment, strengthen and expand field-level support, and increase investment opportunities through grants and government subsidies. A priority will be to train the Ministry of Agriculture and Uztekstilprom to equip them with the knowledge and resources required to become Programme Partners and lead engagements with cotton farming communities. It will also work with its collaborators to strengthen assurance activities, reduce audit fatigue, improve the flow of assessment data, and engage supply chain actors to demonstrate the benefits of processing Physical (Traceable) Better Cotton. Together, the organisations will help raise awareness of Uzbek cotton both nationally and internationally, and establish long-term sustainability goals for the Better Cotton Programme.
