2025 has been another incredible year for the Cotton to Market program and for the Australian cotton industry. As the year draws to a close and we start thinking about a summer break, it’s a great time to reflect on some of the highlights.
Early in the year, our farmers delivered a near-record cotton crop with high yields and sold into international markets, with continued demand from China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. The global market continues to recognise the reliability and sustainability of Australian cotton.
The year also saw significant engagement across the supply chain. The Australian Cotton Forum, brought together over 200 brands, retailers and NGOs for a day of open dialogue, new ideas, and opportunities to engage with our in-field experts.
Our new video series, Australian Cotton Stories gave brands and consumers a behind-the-scenes look at the farms and people who grow our cotton, reinforcing the story of sustainability and community that underpins our industry.
Demand for Australian cotton remained strong in 2025, with the Cotton to Market team supporting our brand partners. We helped sourcing teams navigate chain-of-custody processes, establish Australian cotton supply chains, and connect farmers with consumers through marketing campaigns, social media, EDMs, catalogues, and advertising such as the Aldi Father’s Day catalogue and RB Sellars launch event.
Our team also travelled internationally to promote Australian cotton, participating in events including the Textile Exchange and Better Cotton Conferences and Expo in Osaka, Japan. These engagements allowed us to learn and connect with the global sustainability community including brands and retailers, and fellow cotton programs.
Closer to home, collaborations and partnerships grew. The co-branded campaign with RB Sellars showcased innovation and strengthened connections between growers and brands, with the goal of promoting Australian cotton to consumers. Additionally Traceable Better Cotton from Australia was launched, offering verified provenance for brands sourcing sustainable Australian fibre – to date 35% of Better Cotton traded from Australia was physically traceable.
Throughout 2025, work continued building future-ready programs for the industry under the Australian Cotton Strategic Roadmap. This included progressing traceability research initiatives, a human rights research report, a full review of the myBMP program and the launch of the CRDC Data Platform build. We also visited over 320 cotton farmers and industry to get their feedback on the future of Australian cotton across these important topics.
December 2025