• All About Organic Cotton
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• Learning Journey
  • What's So Special About Organic Cotton?
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• Round Table on Organic Cotton
  • Words from the Industry
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• Collaborative Learning Series
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  • Creating Shared Value
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• Inspiring Moments
  • NEW! Calendar for 2013
• Future Shapers
  • Veja
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• Organic in Action
• Global Organic Cotton Community Platform
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• FAQs

Future Shapers

Our 10th Anniversary pays tribute to TE members

Textile Exchange started life in 2002 (as Organic Exchange) wanting to transform the way the world grew and traded cotton. We did this by promoting and supporting organic cotton. Thankfully others wanted to do this as well - because without the commitment and passion of a whole community of people, companies, and organisations it would not be possible for organic cotton - and indeed the grower communities - to flourish.

To help us celebrate 10 years of Textile Exchange we have asked ten of our member companies to take us on their journey; to share their stories of commitment to people and planet, their work in organic cotton, and their wider sustainability agendas. We have selected 10 Future Shapers to celebrate our 10 Years. Ten companies that have driven the industry to appreciate the value of growing cotton organically, and are applying their values and expertise beyond organic cotton to other aspects of their business as well. 
 

Future Shapers Awards Ceremony - Sustainable Textiles Conference, Hong Kong

Organic cotton pioneers from all over the world were celebrated in a floating Awards ceremony whilst cruising Hong Kong harbour on Thursday night, October 4^th.  Click here to view the slideshow during the award presentation. 

Above from left to right: Textile Exchange's: Evonne Tan (graphic designer of Future Shaper series), Simon Cooper (chair TE Europe, compering the event), and Liesl Truscott (Director, Farm Engagement, Future Shaper series co-ordinator).

Receiving awards: Eraina Duffy, Sr. Materials Researcher, Nike; Rita Luppino, Sustainability and Social Media Associate, Anvil; Shelly Gottschamer, Lifestyle Sourcing Manager, Patagonia; Cecilia Brannsten, Product Sustainability Coordinator, H&M; Rolf Heimann, Head of Innovation & Ecology, hessnature; Michael Reidick, Head of Global Sourcing Operations, C&A; Vijayalakshmi Nachiar, Co-founder, Apache Cotton; Ralf Hellmann, CEO, Dibella.

Unfortunately, founder Abi Petit from Gossypium, nor co-founders François Ghislain Morillion and Sébastien Kopp from Veja could be with us in Hong Kong to collect their award in person.

Image below: view of the conference centre from the harbour cruise 

About the Awards

Each award contains two types of organic cotton: 

(1) The wild (naturally colored) organic cotton is from the Peruvian rainforest, and provided by Bergman Rivera. In the rainforest cotton is grown traditionally, and used by native Peruvians for handicrafts. Wild cotton contributes to the world’s gene pool of native cotton.
 

(2) The white organic cotton boll is Egedeniz’s Aegean long staple cotton from Izmir. Aegean cotton is highly valued for its quality, length and strength of fiber. Egedeniz is a part of the Kadioglu Group of Companies.

Future Shapers Book Available Now!

A commemorative book, compiling all 10 Future Shapers, has now been published and launched at our 2012 Annual Conference in Hong Kong. Go to our shopping cart to purchase your book now ($19.50 USD plus postage) or contact Hanna Denes for more information on bulk ordering over 5 copies.

“The ten stories in Future Shapers collected by Textile Exchange are truly inspiring, and provide a complete answer to anyone who says that it is difficult or impossible to source environmentally and socially sustainable textiles, and particularly organic cotton.  These ten innovative and successful businesses are showing the way, and I hope they inspire many others to follow their amazing examples.” 

Lord Peter Melchett, Policy Director, Soil Association UK

For a sneak preview of the book flick the pages below or open the pdf.