The Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme has been awarded Partnership of the Year at the Reuters Responsible Business Awards 2023.
The acting players – Primark, CottonConnect, and RUDI, part of the female farmers union Self Employed Women’s Association – have each been celebrated for delivering a partnership ‘blueprint’ to be replicated for those working in sustainability agriculture.
“This application stood out to the judges as this isn’t merely a partnership, but rather it is integrated fully into the partners’ businesses now, which judges identified as a way of guaranteeing long term sustainability and scalability,” said the Reuters judges.
“All three organisations have done a remarkable job hitting every triple bottom line for all stakeholders in this group. If you work in sustainability agriculture, this is something to be replicated.”
The Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme (PSCP) was set up in India in 2013 to address the challenges of more sustainable cotton sourcing, and is now operating in four countries with 252,800 farmers trained or training by August 2022. The impact results have shown improvements in all key areas, equipping farmers with the knowledge and skills needed to grow cotton more sustainably, including reducing the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and water.
In India, the PSCP works particularly with female farmers to improve their ability to increase income.
Katharine Stewart, Group Corporate Responsibility Director, Associated British Foods, said: “It is an honour to receive this award, amongst extremely strong competition, and especially as we celebrate ten years of the PSCP this year. The award is a recognition of Primark’s commitment towards a strong collaborative partnership to achieve long-term change, reducing the impact on the environment and supporting women farmer livelihoods.
“Cotton is the primary natural fibre in over half of Primark’s products, so improving how it is farmed is instrumental to our business success and sustainability goals.”
Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect, said: “This award is a wonderful recognition of the success we have achieved over the past 10 years and a testimony to the hard work, expertise and commitment of the partners.
“Creating sustainable, long-lasting change in cotton-growing communities is challenging and something that no single organisation can achieve alone – partnership is absolutely key. We started with shared goals and what we have achieved is truly transformational.”
