The promise of regenerative cotton denim

Our cotton clothes come with a hidden cost. Conventional cotton farming practices can wreak havoc on the environment. But what if there was a way to grow cotton that actually benefits the planet? Enter regenerative cotton, a revolutionary approach to agriculture inspired by ancient practices for a large-scale positive impact. Dive deeper and explore how regenerative cotton is changing the fashion landscape, one thread at a time.

What is regenerative cotton?

Regenerative cotton is grown using regenerative farming practices, which lack a universal definition and vary by farming context. These principles are better defined by their results.

Regenerative agriculture primarily focuses on improving soil health. Healthy soil can help address climate change by storing CO2 underground and enhancing the cycles of hydrogen, carbon, and nutrients. The aim of regenerative agriculture is to achieve the greatest overall positive impact, and it focuses on outcomes rather than processes.

Regenerative farming practices are inherently farmer-friendly, as they are tailored to specific needs, soil, and climate conditions. Common practices include cover crops to protect and enrich the soil, crop rotation to maintain or improve soil fertility, and minimal or no tillage to avoid killing microorganisms with mechanical soil agitation.

Regenerative cotton is a preferred fiber because it offers a solution to some of the most alarming problems of conventional industrial cotton and has an improved social and environmental impact. Other preferred fibers include Better Cotton and organic cotton.

Our journey towards using preferred fibers started in 2011 when we became the first denim producer worldwide to use Better Cotton fibers. This standard is based on crop protection, water stewardship, soil health, biodiversity, responsible land use, fiber quality, decent work, and an effective management system. Moreover, it promotes continuous, measurable improvement in the environment and farmer communities.

On the contrary, industrial agriculture often involves monocultures and mechanized equipment to increase cultivation efficiency. However, these practices have a devastating impact, damaging biodiversity, killing pollinators, and harming overall crop and soil health. This leads to increased use of pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides, making conventional industrial agriculture one of the most polluting industries.

Despite the growing demand for sustainable fibers, conventional cotton still accounted for 69% of the market in 2021, according to a report by Textile Exchange. The interest in preferred fibers and the complexity of the cotton supply chain have also given rise to scandals involving false certifications and claims of organic cotton. According to Textile Exchange, organic cotton made up only about 1% of the global supply in 2021. The two percentages changed respectively to 66% and 2.9% in 2024, as shared by Textile Exchange.

Regenerative cotton may gain a larger market share compared to other preferred fibers because regenerative farming practices are more flexible and farmer-friendly. However, different standards are usually not in competition with one another and can be combined to enhance their positive impact.

Benefits of regenerative cotton denim

Denim has a not-so-secret environmental impact, starting with cotton, its most important ingredient. As mentioned earlier, conventional cotton farming, still used for most denim, can be resource-intensive and contribute to soil degradation. However, regenerative cotton denim offers all the benefits of regenerative agriculture and serves as a beacon of hope for the industry’s future.

Regenerative agriculture benefits include improving soil health and watersheds, addressing climate change, increasing biodiversity, boosting yields, and reducing costs. Standard regenerative farming practices include using cover crops, which help protect and enrich the soil.

Additionally, reducing or eliminating tillage encourages the growth of beneficial microorganisms, which contribute to healthy soil. Healthy soil can sequester more CO2, thereby helping to mitigate climate change and improve the cycles of hydrogen, carbon, and nutrients.

Furthermore, regenerative agriculture aims to improve water availability and quality. Crops grown under regenerative farming practices require less water and fewer fertilizers, and healthy soils have greater water-retention capacity. This reduces the amount of harmful nutrients that end up in oceans, rivers, and lakes.

Reducing tillage and harmful substances also helps to preserve biodiversity both on and below the ground. Methods such as cover crops, crop rotation, and planting pollinator habitats can increase biodiversity. Reducing the use of chemicals and other inputs can also lower farming costs, ultimately boosting farmers’ financial profitability and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Lastly, healthy soils lead to healthy crops with higher yields. Soil rich in organic matter helps retain water and nutrients, and improved soil moisture helps crops withstand drought. The sum of regenerative farming practices can, hence, prevent and reduce pollution.

Candiani’s use of regenerative cotton

We believe in a future of fashion that is both regenerative and regenerated. That is why we have adopted the regenagri® standard, an initiative by Control Union designed to support farms and organizations in transitioning to regenerative farming practices, ensuring the health of the land and the well-being of all who depend on it.

The regenagri® standard encompasses all management strategies and practices across the entire farming operation. Its goal is to maximize the benefits of regenerative agriculture, such as increasing soil organic matter, preserving biodiversity, restoring natural ecosystem functions, sequestering more CO2 underground, and enhancing the hydrogen, carbon, and nutrient cycles.

In November 2021, Candiani became the first company to be certified under the regenagri® Chain of Custody program. Compliance with this standard requires traceability, identification, and segregation of materials to ensure that certified products are not contaminated by non-certified materials. Products certified under the regenagri® standard must contain at least 40% regenerative fibers.

The regenagri® standard promotes ongoing improvement rather than maintaining a status quo. It provides a comprehensive solution for farms and organizations seeking to adopt the standard, tailoring it to meet their specific needs. regenagri® evaluates on-farm data individually and assigns a regenerative score, taking into account the variations and specific characteristics of different areas.

We envision a future where regenerative cotton becomes the industry standard, which is why we’ve chosen to collaborate with regenagri®. This approach has the potential to be widely adopted and scalable. It can help address some of the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges and establish a comprehensive verification system for regenerative farming practices.