More than 1,400 people from across the fashion and textiles industries came together in Lisbon, Portugal last week to share insights around scaling sustainability solutions in a world of increasing uncertainty and change.
Brooke Summers represented Cotton Australia during the week, learning and networking with brands and retailers, technology companies, the Textile exchange team, suppliers and fellow cotton programs.
Five key take outs for our work in the cotton fibre sustainability space include:
· Impact data and the way it’s collected must be context specific and accessible, and our work in aligning Australian cotton data with the global frameworks used by brands is essential.
· Shining a light on microfibre shedding and its impact on human health and the environment represents a huge opportunity for natural fibres – we must collaborate with other cotton programs to shine a light on the impacts of polyester.
· Convincing arguments for sustainability adoption must focus on the numbers and make good business sense first – this applies to brands, and to farmers.
· The textile sector is subject to shifting legislative priorities in the EU, with some aspects being simplified or wound back - this change of focus has introduce new layers of uncertainty for business and farmers.
· Equitable economic models at Tier 4 (farming) are vital – how can the costs of transitioning farmers to preferred production systems be fairly distributed, ensuring premiums reach those at Tier 4.
October 2025
