BCI stands for Better Cotton Initiative. It is the world's largest cotton sustainability programme, covering over 2.5 million farmers across 23 countries. BCI cotton is not certified organic — it is cotton grown according to Better Cotton standards, which focus on reduced water use, reduced pesticide use, improved soil health, and fair labour conditions.
The key distinction for buyers: BCI uses a mass balance system, meaning you buy the equivalent volume of Better Cotton grown somewhere in the supply chain — not necessarily the specific bales traced to a farm. This is different from GOTS or OCS, which require full chain-of-custody tracing.
For brands with broad sustainability commitments, BCI is a credible baseline. For brands making specific organic or traceability claims, GOTS or OCS is more appropriate. BCI membership is verified through the Better Cotton Platform — your supplier should be able to provide their BCI membership number and annual claim volume.
At Janki Nath & Co., we are active BCI members alongside our GOTS, OCS and OEKO-TEX certifications across our woven fabric range.
Related reading: Cotton fabric range | Our certifications
Contact us: jcofabrics@yahoo.co.in
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