The event, to be jointly hosted for the first time by the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) and Textile Exchange, will emphasise collaborative solutions and knowledge exchange to address the challenges and opportunities in organic cotton.
The Organic Cotton Summit will bring together representatives from fashion brands, retailers, suppliers, farmers, and policymakers, along with sustainability leaders and innovators focused on traceability, climate resilience, and finance.
It will facilitate shared learning on key issues such as enhancing traceability, investing in climate resilience, navigating regulatory shifts, and increasing market demand for organic cotton.
Sessions throughout the event will also explore ways to foster trust across the supply chain and examine the perspectives of cotton growers.
Textile Exchange chief standards and strategy officer Ashley Gill said: “The future of organic cotton depends on our ability to collaborate more deeply and act more decisively. By joining forces with the Organic Cotton Accelerator, this summit offers a rare opportunity to unite leaders from across the global organic community to learn from one another, challenge our assumptions, and to co-create solutions that are grounded in real-world experience. We’re excited to co-host this event, where connection, insights, and innovation can inspire collaborative action and accelerate the scale and impact of organic cotton worldwide.”
The summit programme features keynote addresses, including a session from Paul Holmbeck, World Board Member at IFOAM – Organics International, who will speak about lessons from organic policy and market initiatives.
Attendees can participate in workshops focused on unlocking investment, utilising data for climate and nature outcomes, and adapting to new sustainability policies.
In addition, there will be scheduled regional dialogues that will encourage further exchange between key organic cotton-producing areas.
The OCA will host an Organic Cotton Pavilion to highlight organisations throughout the supply chain, including farming groups, seed producers, certification bodies, and traceability solution providers.
Organic Cotton Accelerator executive director Bart Vollaard said: “By joining hands with our partners at Textile Exchange, we are creating a unique opportunity to convene the full breadth of the organic cotton community, from those growing cotton in the fields to those shaping markets and policy. It’s a chance to recognise the incredible progress achieved across supply chains and to be inspired by peers from across the globe. Most importantly, it’s a space to challenge ourselves to go further in a rapidly shifting sustainability landscape and continue scaling organic cotton for lasting impact.”
