A series of farm visits has given farmers that are part of Cotton Australia’s myBMP program for brands sourcing Australian cotton the opportunity to showcase their sustainability practices.
Hollie Stringer, Sustainable Cotton Senior Coordinator at Textile Exchange, visited several myBMP-accredited farms on the Darling Downs recently as part of her visit to Australia.
“It was great to see what’s happening at the farm level, so we can feed that information back to brands. I also had the opportunity to share the growing importance of sustainably produced cotton in the textile industry,” Hollie said.
Alongside Cotton Australia’s Rob Crothers, Hollie visited myBMP-accredited farmers Kurt Von Pein, Howard Rother and Johannes Roellgen.
Holly said she was impressed with how invested the farmers are in growing cotton, and the positive stories they have to tell, along with the support Cotton Australia provides growers in achieving their myBMP status.
Textile Exchange, the global non-profit driving positive impact on climate change across the fashion, owns the 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge, which calls on brands and retailers to source 100% of their cotton from more sustainable programs by 2025.
More than 160 companies, including major brands such as Levi’s, Adidas, Nike, H&M, and Ikea, have already signed up.
The 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge aims to shift the market toward using cotton that is grown with agricultural practices with improved social and environmental outcomes – a key component of the myBMP program.
“Cotton Australia’s myBMP is considered by Textile Exchange as a more sustainable cotton program, and we suggest these programs to brands taking part in the challenge who are looking to meet responsible sourcing goals,” Hollie said.
“These sustainability targets are going to continue to grow as brands and consumers become more conscious about what they are wearing.”
Kurt Von Pein, a third-generation cotton farmer, said that showcasing his farm-level practices and myBMP program to Textile Exchange had been a valuable opportunity.
“Brands and textile industries are realising what we do on the farm and seeing the efforts we put in. By using the Bollgard technology and myBMP practices, we can demonstrate we are limiting environmental damage while producing a high-quality, high-yielding crop,” Kurt said.
“The shift in consumer behaviour, with consumers making more environmental purchasing choices, is one of the main reasons I wanted our farm to be recognized. Knowing the market is going in that direction makes the myBMP program even more worthwhile.”
To find out more about myBMP, get in touch with your regional manager or the Cotton Australia office on 1800 268 866. For more information on Textile Exchange’s 2025 Sustainable Challenge, click here.