Cotton

In 2005, WWF and IKEA set out to transform cotton production and secure a sustainable future for the industry by helping farmers earn a better living and improving working conditions, as well as reducing impacts from pesticide use and saving precious water resources.

From an initial effort involving 450 farmers in India and Pakistan – two of the world’s most important cotton-growing countries – WWF and IKEA helped to create Better Cotton, an independent multi-stakeholder organisation whose members are committed to making Better Cotton a mainstream product.

The partnership provides support, training and outreach to farmers that want to produce Better Cotton. Some 43,000 farmers in India and Pakistan are involved in our joint projects, taking part in the global shift toward Better Cotton.

Building on our initial success, and starting with a focus on water management within cotton production in Pakistan and India – two areas with strong water risks and challenges – we are now working together to understand IKEA’s water risks and what water stewardship means for the company more broadly.

Find out more in the partnership factsheet and the partnership cotton report.

Also, see more info in our Pakistan climate smart cotton project factsheet and our India cotton project factsheet.

Here is our cotton case study.