Welcome to the

Cotton
Leads^sm
Program

As a partner in the Cotton LEADS program, you have joined a network of businesses that care about sustainable cotton production and the use of sustainable raw materials in the textile supply chain.

This page is a hub for information and resources to help you to leverage your partnership and actively engage in the Cotton LEADS community. We welcome your participation, feedback and ideas about how we can continue to advance sustainable cotton together.

What does your partnership mean?

By signing on to the Cotton LEADS program, you are signaling to your staff, customers and stakeholders that sustainability matters. As a member, you have committed to the five core principles of the program and have pledged to support the use of cotton from Australia and the U.S. in your supply chain.

Learn more about the program

Our Commitments to You

Continue producing cotton with high social and environmental standards at a national level
Provide the market with fully traceable cotton up to the spinning mill
Continue to supply consistent fiber qualities with low contamination
Continue investing in nationwide research and development to advance cotton's sustainability in Australia and the U.S.
Communicate the sustainability efforts and achievements of the U.S. and Australian cotton farmers
Support you and your business as an engaged Cotton LEADS partner
Grow an engaged network of Cotton LEADS partners
Listen and be responsive to our partners’ needs

6 ways to engage

As a partner

Choose Australian and U.S. cotton in your supply chain

You can source Australian and U.S. cotton with confidence, knowing that these Cotton LEADS producer countries lead the world in sustainable cotton production. These national cotton industries promote on-farm best practices, invest in large-scale R&D, meet rigorous government regulations and implement unparalleled traceability. The result: cotton fiber that meets your sustainable sourcing goals.

Through the Cotton LEADS program, you can source Australian and U.S. cotton year-round without adding costs or complexity into your supply chain. We connect you with the data and information you need to make sourcing sustainable cotton simple for you – and rewarding for your company’s reputation.

Cotton LEADS partners are encouraged to:

Include Australian and U.S. cotton in their definition of “sustainable” cotton
Include Australian and U.S. cotton in supply chain strategies, sourcing strategies and sustainable cotton commitments
Actively source cotton from Cotton LEADS producer countries
Call out these commitments to customers

Discuss how you can source Australian and U.S. cotton.

Promote your involvement in the Cotton LEADS program

As a Cotton LEADS partner, you can promote your involvement throughout your supply chain. Start with the “Why Our Company Is a Partner” flyer, available for brands and retailers or for mills. The flyer succinctly describes the benefits and value of your partnership. It is ideal for your internal audiences, such as leadership teams, and for external audiences in your supply chain.

Continue to let your upstream suppliers and downstream customers know that you support responsible cotton through…

Tradeshow signage
Your website
Hangtags and product packaging
In-store signage
Social media

Using the Cotton LEADS service mark on your materials is a powerful way to illustrate your commitment to sustainable cotton. You can use it at no cost. Before you use it, however, you need to execute a free Service Mark Agreement. Once you have done this, we invite you to work closely with us to develop promotional materials and messages to promote your involvement.

Get started with a Service Mark Agreement.

Learn what makes cotton a sustainable choice

Cotton is the world’s favorite and most widely used natural fiber, and yet cotton’s social and environmental challenges are often highlighted instead of its benefits. Our partners play a role in building cotton’s reputation by learning about and sharing its positive attributes.

These resources will help you understand the benefits of choosing cotton – and help you confidently and accurately promote your cotton products.

Connect with us about these cotton resources.

Share your stories with us

Many of our partners are doing great things within their own businesses to promote sustainable cotton and the Cotton LEADS program. Your stories can inspire others to spread the word! Please tell us about your business’ initiatives, and we will share them with the Cotton LEADS community through the Partner Post e-newsletter, on our website, across other cotton industry sites and at events.

We would love to know if you’re promoting sustainable cotton through…

Digital content
On-product ticketing/hangtags
Point of sale marketing
Trade show displays
Social media content and campaigns
Events and presentations
Published articles

We also want to highlight your investments and achievements in sustainability. Please tell us about your…

Sustainable products and innovations
Public commitments to sustainable cotton
Sustainability initiatives relating to the cotton supply chain
Individuals or teams within your business who have led the way in sustainability
Sustainability awards or sustainability targets that have been achieved
Sponsored sustainable cotton projects

Share your stories and learn how to be featured in our program communications.

Network within the Cotton LEADS community

The commitment to sustainability is bigger than any one farm, business, industry or even nation. It is only through collaboration and the sharing of resources and best practices that we can improve cotton production worldwide. This is one of the Cotton LEADS guiding principles.

We encourage all our partners to share their knowledge, experiences and successes with each other. This can be done through the quarterly Partner Post e-newsletters, information posted to the Cotton LEADS website, presentations at partner engagement events or collaboration with other partners.

Take your networking opportunities further.

Provide your feedback

The Cotton LEADS program was established in 2013, and we now include well over 650 brand, retail and manufacturing partners in our community.

Download Partner List

Continuous improvement not only applies to cotton farms, but also to the program itself. We value your feedback on how we can better engage with you and support your business to actively participate in the Cotton LEADS program.

Start a conversation.