A new initiative aimed at accelerating the uptake of organic cotton has been launched with the backing of retailers such as C&A, H&M and Eileen Fisher, as well as Textile Exchange. The Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) will work with ´the entire supply chain´ in order ´to find and fund innovative ways to ensure the supply of organic cotton.´
The idea for the initiative was first discussed at Textile Exchange´s organic cotton roundtable in Istanbul in 2013. The OCA lists its objectives as increasing the supply of and demand for organic cotton, improving social, environmental and economic prosperity for organic cotton farmers, promoting best practices throughout the organic cotton value chain and ensuring the financial viability of OCA.