RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — March 17, 2021 — Companies that are part of BASF’s e3® Sustainable Cotton program — a cotton sustainability program that delivers item-level sustainability promises — can now directly show their support for the program’s farmers through the e3 Sustainable Cotton Grower Fund.
The fund is a unique and unprecedented effort to provide additional economic support for farmers in the program who commit to growing sustainable cotton. Vidalia Mills and General Standard are the first two companies to contribute to the fund, which launched in February.
“We’re excited to have Vidalia Mills and General Standard join us in this first-of-its-kind commitment and look forward to even more brands pledging to the fund,” said Jennifer Gasque-Crumpler, e3 Sustainable Cotton program manager for BASF. “Our vision for honest, fair, sustainable cotton isn’t possible without our dedicated farmers, and we’re grateful to our cotton fiber value chain collaborators who understand the importance of rewarding their effort.”
Brands, retailers, mills and other cotton fiber value chain companies sourcing e3 Sustainable Cotton will have the opportunity to contribute a monetary amount to the fund. At the end of each year, 100 percent of those funds will be distributed equally to e3 Sustainable Cotton farmers, which is in addition to a $2.50 per bale premium BASF provides to farmers enrolled in the program.
Cotton farmers like Elizabeth Lague will be direct recipients of the fund. Lague grows Stoneville® cotton in Tennessee and has been part of the e3 Sustainable Cotton program for the last two seasons. She also is a BASF Business Representative. As a farmer, she appreciates the opportunity she has through the BASF program to connect her cotton with companies that want to create traceability and transparency through the entire cotton fiber value chain, starting with sustainable farming practices.
“For many generations, our family has worked the land with the mindset of leaving it better than we found it,” said Lague. “It’s encouraging to see brands support this mentality and reward the farmers behind the cotton.”
The e3 Sustainable Cotton Grower Fund is part of a program that provides unmatched field-level traceability and is driven by comprehensive verification and a valued reputation for growing socially equitable, economically viable and environmentally responsible cotton. Farmers who are part of the e3 Sustainable Cotton program commit to tracking eight sustainability measures on 100 percent of their eligible cotton acres, ranging from water use and pesticide management to soil conservation and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Through a series of digital platforms, the cotton they grow can be traced from an individual cotton bale in their field, all the way to the end consumer. To learn more about the e3 Sustainable Cotton program, visit www.e3cotton.us.
Posted March 18, 2021
Source: BASF Corp.
