06 Gossypium Spreading The Ethical Cotton Message Future Shapers A Decade of Innovation in Textile Sustainability (2002-2012) Gossypium (Latin word for cotton) pioneered Fairtrade & Organic cotton textiles in the UK. The founders, Abi and Thomas Petit, set up the company in 2000 with the vision to design products for customers that are authentic in form of beautiful cotton garments and better prices for farmers. The two textile technologists started their sustainability journey in 1998 in India where they established a close partnership with cotton farmers and developed a network of manufacturers that share their ethical values. Through Gossypium, it is their goal to create fairer supply chains in cotton fashion from source to delivery. p 1
As a lover of fine textiles due to my sensitive skin, trained eye and skilled craftsperson hands; my dedication is to serving those farmers that work with nature to grow cotton fibre. Being part of the conversion of this valuable natural material into a product of worth, to in turn, serve a customers need, is what my life is about. Abi Petit, Founder & Director, Gossypium p 2
Location: Lewes (Sussex), England Type of Business Specialist of authentic cotton products Number of Employees: Less than 20 Began selling organic cotton products 2000 OC Value Chain Partners: Agrocel, Indian mills (e.g. Aura, Patiba, Prathibha Syntex,) Sustainability Collection: Wide range of cotton textiles, from finished products (women s and men s wear, lingerie, bath and robe wear, baby wear, yoga wear, bedlinen) to fabrics Certifications: Fairtrade, GOTS Targets: Grow the business without compromising the ethical cotton message Future Ambitions: Become a globally recognised brand of luxurious cotton goods Recent Recognition: The Ten Best Green Fashion Buys (The Independent, 2005); Winner The Innocent Drinks First Time Sponsor Award (as part of the Arts & Business South East Awards, 2005); Shortlisted for the Observer Ethical Awards Finalists (2006 and 2007); Runner up British Fashion Export Awards (2007); Sussex Fashion Award (2011) p 3
The Journey So Far... Learning By Working Their Way Up From The Bottom Agrocel: Establishing A Cotton Trader In the Beginning Prior to starting the Gossypium brand in England, Abi and Thomas lived in Western Gujarat in India where their ethical journey began. In 1997, they worked on an order for Oxfam Belgium which Abi had worked on for 2 years teaching them how to look behind garment manufacture to the value of the fibre and the need to be fair to farmers. She had met the founders of Agrocel years before during her fairtrade work for Traidcraft who was interested to source Fairtrade T-Shirts from the region. Abi and Thomas started to look for farmers who could provide them with the cotton. It was through this process that they learned about the challenges that the farmers face and it got them thinking about how these could be turned around to become fairer and more environmentally friendly. They started to collaborate with a farmer training and servicing organisation called Agrocel. It was in these early days that their vision for a more sustainable cotton industry took shape. When Abi and Thomas started to work with Agrocel, the organisation was already an established service provider for the farmers in the region supplying them with inputs and training such as record keeping on chemicals. Although Agrocel supported these small-scale cotton farmers, the organisation did not buy the cotton and sell it on to the market. It was their collaboration with Abi and Thomas that was instrumental in establishing Agrocel as a cotton trader. It was a win-win situation for both sides: Agrocel knew about the technical aspects of cotton farming, whereas Abi and Thomas shared their knowledge on the way the textile industry works and its demands. Abi and Thomas also learned about the benefits of the Fairtrade cotton scheme, which was still in its infancy at the time, about how resourceful the farmers are and how environmentally-aware they live and act in the world. It did not take them long to see that there could be a market for Fairtrade as well as Organic cotton today, this fibre is available as Agrocel Pure & Fair Cotton. Together they have educated thousands of conventional cotton farmers on the benefits of sustainable farming techniques as well as successfully organised and built up trading relationships with them. p 4
Gossypium: A Shaper Of The Industry Abi and Thomas felt that their next step was to bring the Organic & Fairtrade cotton to mainstream retailers. In 1999, their company Vericott Ltd established the Gossypuim brand Agrocel joined as shareholders a few years later with the goal to not only directly source some of the first ethically produced cotton for their own-brand products, but to also use the brand as a driver to get the fibre into big retail chains to secure volumes. They both knew from their time in India that farmers were suffering from poverty, being affected by climate change, and were in desperate need of support. Gossypium was very popular right from the early days experiencing a boom in interest from the press and the public and demand from retailers and customers. The brand s need for Organic & Fairtrade cotton was not sufficient enough though to have a meaningful positive impact on the farmers considering the scale of the problem. They believed however that they could become part of a bigger movement, and Abi and Thomas succeeded in their mission. Through Gossypium, they helped to establish some of the early supply chains for certified Organic & Fairtrade cotton. 2003 marked a major milestone for the company when they began collaborating with Marks & Spencer the first major high street retailer to buy cotton from Agrocel. Gossypium put a package together for the retailer that included their designs and their knowledge on sustainable cotton procurement and traceability. They also enabled the retailer to source the cotton via their existing supply chains which made the conversion process easier for Marks & Spencer. Key Success Factors: Very close cotton producer group ties and long-term commitment to farmers Trusted and like-minded supply chain partners Regardless of commercial consequences, no compromise on core values Firm understanding of how the textile industry operates Thinking creatively about business growth in a challenging economic environment Development of innovative partnership models PHOTO: Gossypium children s pyjamas. p 5
Growing Stronger Through Continuous Learning Although Gossypium supports other cotton projects by offering their Fairtrade & Organic products made outside of India (e.g. T-Shirts with cotton from Tanzania or towels from Burkina Faso) in their shop in Lewes, England, they remain loyal to Agrocel when sourcing for their own-brand textiles. Gossypium products became popular with independent, ethical stores and chains all over the UK as well as major high street retailers like Topshop. Following a number of very successful business years, the economic downturn had an effect on Gossypium as many of their fledgling business partners, who were not established enough and lacked funding, had to close down whilst established retailers were not ready to commit to the ethical values inside the Gossypium brand. This forced Abi and Thomas to take Gossypium back to its core, rethink its competitive advantage and explore alternative sales routes in order to penetrate mainstream distribution systems of retailers. Today, Gossypium is investing in a network of agents that will help them grow in some of their key markets such as Scandinavia, Australia and Canada. These agents use the Gossypium design, logo, quality and ethical supply chains to buy garments directly from selected Indian manufacturers for these markets. While receiving a license fee from the agents, it also has the benefit that Gossypium can focus solely on creating sustainable products from raw material to finished garment. It is this production knowledge that Gossypium is well known for and for which Abi and Thomas are often called upon by other companies for consultancy work. In addition to the agent network, staff, customers and interested individuals can become shareholders in the business as part of an Ethical Council. This shareholder scheme will help the business to continue to grow in the future. p 6 PHOTO: Ramabhai, India Peter Caton (by Gossypium)
Value Chain Partners... Creating Trusted Partnerships Agrocel continues to remain a close value chain partner for Gossypium, and over the years, Abi and Thomas have created emotional ties to the organisation. They started to work with Agrocel in 1998 and helped them to move from a service and training provider for farmers to a cotton trader. They supported the organisation in understanding the connection between the raw material and the textile industry by continuing to focus on technical aspects of cotton farming (e.g. cost effective use of farm inputs, drip irrigation to minimise water use), while broadening Agrocel s view of the cotton market emphasising industry demands such as cotton quality and its link to prices. They also showed them how to make yarns and how to engage with the industry, such as negotiating with mills and helping them understand more about what happens to their cotton downstream. Agrocel then sends their Organic & Fairtrade cotton to a number of selected Gossypium suppliers in India for manufacturing into garments. The brand built up a selected number of supply chains over the years and each supplier shares Gossypium s ethical commitment. Gossypium s latest value chain partners are their network of agents whom they engage with through a partnership model. These agents have to follow strict licensing conditions to uphold the brand s strong social and environmental values. PHOTO: Abi holding Agrocel cotton. p 7
PHOTO: Brothers Lavjibhai, Pragjibhai, Muljibhai and Prem Ji, Agro (by Gossypium) Abi and Thomas together with Agrocel were pioneers in introducing Fairtrade organic to cotton farmers in India, and alongside other progressive global brands, they brought about consciousness of ethical sourcing. Their passion to support cotton farmers as well as organic and Fairtrade led them to invest their life savings into creating Gossypium ; a brand which is built on the foundation of ethical cotton. Anyone who walks into the Gossypium store is instantly connected to the thousands of farmers in India that Abi and Thomas have so painstakingly worked with and discover that the true meaning of cotton was Gossypium. p 8 R Hariharan, CEO of Agrocel
Making a Difference Abi and Thomas strongly supported Agrocel in becoming one of the biggest Organic & Fairtrade cotton providers supplying Gossypium and also other high profile fashion retailers. Back in the late 90s, the organisation started out with 60 farmers, and today, there are a total of 15,000 farmers. The impact is visible farmers are now structured into communities leading to rejuvenation in the communities and a re-gained appreciation for cotton farming. Through their long-term commitment to these farmers, they make them believe in cotton again. This is a positive contribution to the wider textile industry that is threatened by the declining number of farmers willing to grow cotton which in turn can negatively impact cotton availability. Beside the financial benefits that farmers gain from Fairtrade and Organic premiums, Agrocel, by being a cotton trader, has helped these farmers to be linked to the rest of the world. Gossypium s influence spreads further. In their latest effort to build up an agent network, Abi and Thomas insist that products are offered without the common discounting practice of the textile industry. Gossypium believes in timeless fashion where garments are of high quality and come with a story so that customers can cherish and enjoy them for a long time. The majority of their products are not one-seasonproducts with a discounted period thereafter. It requires Gossypium to educate their agents about the cotton message which fundamentally contradicts with the culture of discounting. Due to this set up, the agent will then in turn have to educate their own customers which in most cases are large retail chains. This can have a very powerful impact on the textile industry with the potential to go far beyond cotton products. p 9 PHOTO: Gossypium products.
p 10 Advocacy and Leadership Over the last ten years, Gossypium was never willing to compromise on its values even though this sometimes came with commercial consequences. Gossypium is first and foremost a company that focuses on sustainable cotton. As most retailers are not structured according to fibres, but product lines (e.g. babywear, nightwear, bedlinen) with frequently changing styles every few weeks and a range consisting of multiple fibres (e.g. including man-made fibres such as polyester), it is challenging to maintain the cotton message. Rather than adapting by providing products that regularly change and are made of mixed fibres, Gossypium stuck to its original set up offering a range of classic Fairtrade & Organic cotton styles. This is what their customers love them for mainly because their customer is not a fast fashion lover, but a fabric lover with an appreciation for style, quality and sustainability. Changing the business according to industry demands and buying mentalities would have meant a distraction from Gossypium s cotton message and is ultimately something the brand is not willing to compromise on. Another way for Gossypium to support this slow movement in textile production is by offering training in its UK sampling and micro-stitching unit. It is also a way that demonstrates going back to its roots by embracing craftsmanship. Gossypium does not just offer these values to their customers though. The brand designs, samples and manufactures prototypes in the UK, and new products are currently trialled for customer acceptance in its Lewes shop.. Committed pioneer Harriet Lamb, CBE Executive Director, Fairtrade Foundation Gossypium managed to start a revolution and deliver a solution before people had even understood the problem. Sandy Black, London College of Fashion, author Eco-chic and the Fashion Paradox Abi is also a spokeswoman for the Fairtrade movement and currently sits on the PAC (policy advisory council of the Fairtrade Labelling organisation FLO). She is a firm believer in the concept because she has evidence that the organisation of farmers into community groups can do a lot for their morale and their ability to communicate with one voice. In her opinion, this is as important as farming techniques: without the social benefits that the Fairtrade mark is associated with, these fragile farmers may turn away from growing cotton which can lead to a big shortage in the industry. Abi is also a founding member of Textile Exchange Europe; registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
Where to Next? Telling the Story Gossypium currently uses two main channels to tell their story. The first one is via their catalogue and website. They have gained some valuable experience educating their consumers about the importance of Organic & Fairtrade cotton and they see that those initial investments have been very fruitful as many of their early adopter customers are still loyal to Gossypium. The second route of awareness raising is through public speeches at conferences, trade events, and colleges and by tirelessly granting interviews to journalists; where Abi and Thomas share their story and learnings over the past 15 years. They also have a track record of consultancy services from high end to mass market brands. The Gossypium experience shows that Abi and Thomas have succeeded in achieving their mission as their business celebrates its 12th birthday this year. As a small brand, having to deal with retail demands and pressures was not always easy though in terms of finding a balance between common financial structures and ethical values that serve cotton farmers. While the Gossypium brand is now focusing on being a design-house with strong sustainability roots, it is also investing in a partnership model with agents that will support them to take their products into new markets allowing them to not only grow, but also to spread the cotton message further. Along this future journey, they will benefit from the solid structures that they have put in place with their value chain partners over the last years, and they will be equipped not to compromise on their sustainability goals. PHOTO: Abi in her Lewes store. p 11
For more information on Gossypium, please visit: http://www.gossypium.co.uk Textile Exchange inspires and equips people to accelerate sustainable practices in the textile value chain. We focus on minimizing the harmful impacts and maximizing the positive effects of the global textile industry. Our signature program focuses on organic cotton value chains; improving lives for farmers, stimulating markets, and supporting best practice. Website: farmhub.textileexchange.org/ Copyright. All rights reserved.