Unparalleled Traceability

Two industry leaders, CottonConnect and Haelixa, have joined to reshape cotton traceability. This step empowers both companies to drive positive change across the cotton supply chain. Leveraging CottonConnect’s digital traceability tool, TraceBale, with Haelixa’s physical traceability solution with unique DNA markers, the risk for gaps in the supply chain can be reduced significantly.

“The cotton industry is so often scrutinised for a lack of transparency. What drives our mission is the desire to support growers in telling their story and add confidence downstream,” says Gedminas Mikutis, Co-founder of Haelixa.

At the heart of this desire for traceability is both parties’ understanding of the value and importance of cotton. Every fibre of cotton tells its own story – a journey through fields, gins, mills, and into a consumer’s wardrobe. With traceability, this story is clear. The story, told with digitally and physically validated proof, gives brands transparency and confidence in their supply chain.

“Improving traceability has become a priority for retailers in the move towards a more sustainable and ethical apparel industry.” CottonConnect CEO Alison Ward said, “Traceability allows a brand to know the journey of their material from farmer group right through to finished garment in order to ensure compliance with regulations and to make authentic marketing claims for their customers.”

Why is Proving Cotton Origin Essential?

Cotton is the backbone of the fashion industry, and its journey from farm to garment is often complex and convoluted. Unethical practices, environmental concerns, and labour issues can quickly become intertwined with the cotton supply chain. Provenance becomes pivotal as consumers demand more information about the products they purchase. Brands are the ones responsible for answering the consumers. Addressing these concerns head-on is the essence of the CottonConnect and Haelixa partnership.

What traceability offers is critical information for brands and consumers. By having digital and physical proof of the cotton journey, brands can gather invaluable data on the path of their fibres. The data offers complete visibility into the practices, sourcing, quality, and impact.

“The data is critical. Small-scale farmers need to have data to prove where their cotton originates. From that data, manufacturers and brands can decide where to operate more sustainably and calculate their impact,” added Mikutis. “We strive for accessibility; no matter the size of the cotton operation, we can scale to accommodate.”

TraceBale, the proprietary software tool created by CottonConnect, provides visibility on all farmer transactions, verifying farm production against ginner procurement. From there, TraceBale generates an ID that integrates into the lint and yarn systems to give brands a full view of the cotton supply chain. The tool also helps with the human element; it connects buyers and sellers by building trust with precise data and strong relationships.

Alison Ward says, “What makes TraceBale unique is that it is based on a ‘bottom-up’ approach of data gathering and provides comprehensive visibility of the entire cotton journey, including the often-challenging last leg of the journey, from gin to farm, and helping retailers map their supply right from the source ensuring traceability and enabling transparency, from farm to finished product.

Adding another dimension, Haelixa marks the cotton with a unique DNA marker for each farm or batch to distinguish the lots. By adding these markers to the cotton fibres, the DNA will stay with the cotton through all processing, manufacturing, and finishing. Testing is performed at each step with PCR technology to authenticate the stories told by the farmers or suppliers, providing a forensic result. After conducting tests, a report confirms the presence of the original fibre.

Commitment To the Future

Joining forces for a sustainable future, CottonConnect and Haelixa commit to brands and cotton growers. The industry is witnessing a new era of responsible production and informed consumption. Together, the two companies prove that with technology, positive change is not only a possibility but a reality.