Ralph Lauren x Soil Health Institute

Cotton represents over 80% of Ralph Lauren Corporation’s total material use / Source: Ralph Lauren

ClarusCottonNorth AmericaTextiles

5 MINUTE READ

Sophie Benson

WHAT WE SAY:

The world is awash with synthetic fibres, while natural fibres like cotton often get a bad rap – accused of being thirsty, dirty and exploitative. Yet, depending on where and how cotton is produced, there are huge differences in its impact.

Ralph Lauren’s collaboration with the Soil Health Institute aims to help farmers implement regenerative agricultural practices across over one million hectares of US cropland and draw down one million tonnes of CO2 by 2026. If it can deliver, it will be a huge step on the way to proving that cotton can be environmentally and economically beneficial, and we will be rooting hard for it to succeed.

KEY FACTS:

The luxury fashion brand has provided a founding grant of USD 5 million to support the non-profit’s U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund (USRCF). The fund will support farmers in adopting regenerative practices, such as cover cropping and no tillage.
The programme launched in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Georgia, with plans to expand to Alabama, North Carolina, Missouri, California and Oklahoma. Together, the nine states represent 85% of US Cotton production.
The programme aims to draw down one million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2026.
The Soil Health Institute will work with farmers to measure and monitor the environmental, societal and economic benefits of the programme using an internally developed approach called Soil Health Targets.

Ralph Lauren’s New York store / Source: Ralph Lauren

The Soil Health Institute endorses regenerative practices such as no tillage / Source: Soil Health Institute

DIVE DEEPER:

Over 68 million tonnes of synthetic fibres are produced each year, representing 62% (and increasing) of the total fibre production volume. Producing these fibres consumes 1.35% of global oil consumption, exceeding the annual oil consumption of Spain.
As well as using non-renewable resources, using synthetic fibres is an environmental and health disaster – 176,500 tonnes of synthetic microfibres, mainly polyester and nylon, are released annually onto land across the globe, while microplastics have been found deep within our lungs and our blood.
Compare this with cotton – per the ASTM D64000 Compostable Product Test, 100% cotton biodegrades by between 92% and 95% in four weeks.
Cotton should provide a viable, natural alternative to synthetics, however, unsustainable agricultural practices promoted by overconsumption mean that around a third of the world’s land has been degraded, undermining the wellbeing of at least 3.2 billion people.
In the top ten cotton producing states in the US, only 8% of land is managed with cover cropping – planted between cash crops to improve soil health – and only 21% is managed using no tillage – reducing soil disturbance and erosion. Cotton is produced on approximately 11.4 million acres of US land.
Regenerative practices can increase soil organic carbon, reduce GHG emissions, reduce erosion, and improve drought resilience. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that increasing soil biodiversity could provide at least half of the emissions reductions necessary to limit average global temperature increases to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, the target set within the Paris Agreement.
By signing up to the USRCF, farmers will receive farmer-to-farmer mentoring, as well as opportunities to partner with the Soil Health Institute on the “economics of soil health systems, soil health and soil carbon targets.”
A comparison of the profitability of soil health promoting systems and conventional systems across North America found that 97% of farmers reported increased crop resilience to extreme weather, and 85% had increased profitability. An investment of USD 57 billion over a series of farms could return USD 1.9 trillion in input savings across the same period.
It costs an average of USD 47.06 per acre less to grow cotton using regenerative management systems.
Cotton represents over 80% of Ralph Lauren Corporation’s total material use, and as part of its sustainability goals, it has committed that 100% of key materials, including cotton, will be sustainably sourced.
The USRCF will provide internships to students at four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
In March 2022, the VF Foundation (the grant-making arm of VF Corporation, owner of brands such as Vans, The North Face and Timberland) announced it was becoming a Sustaining Supporter of the fund.

"Partnering to scale solutions that build community resilience are powerful ways to positively impact people’s lives, now and for the future."

Roseann Lynch – Chief People Officer, Ralph Lauren Corporation

Key Design Considerations:

Transitioning to regenerative cotton

External funding and research are necessary to unlock the increased profitability, and lower costs, achieved by regenerative management systems.

Using regeneratively produced cotton is not the end of the story

What about the in-use and end-of-life stages? Ralph Lauren has invested in Natural Fiber Welding, which turns natural fibres, including cotton, into high-performance materials with synthetic-like qualities, as in its Clarus tennis shirt. Because these innovative fibres are wholly natural, they will also degrade benignly in the environment.

'Regenerative’ is more than a label

Authentically regenerative agricultural practices are the gold standard, but you should never view a certification simply as a ‘label’ proving sustainability. Witness how organic cotton has become so popular that there are now accusations of fraud within its key certification schemes

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Ralph Lauren x Soil Health Institute

WHAT WE SAY:

The world is awash with synthetic fibres, while natural fibres like cotton often get a bad rap – accused of being thirsty, dirty and exploitative. Yet, depending on where and how cotton is produced, there are huge differences in its impact.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

Over 68 million tonnes of synthetic fibres are produced each year, representing 62% (and increasing) of the total fibre production volume. Producing these fibres consumes 1.35% of global oil consumption, exceeding the annual oil consumption of Spain.

Compare this with cotton – per the ASTM D64000 Compostable Product Test, 100% cotton biodegrades by between 92% and 95% in four weeks.

Cotton should provide a viable, natural alternative to synthetics, however, unsustainable agricultural practices promoted by overconsumption mean that around a third of the world’s land has been degraded, undermining the wellbeing of at least 3.2 billion people.

By signing up to the USRCF, farmers will receive farmer-to-farmer mentoring, as well as opportunities to partner with the Soil Health Institute on the “economics of soil health systems, soil health and soil carbon targets.”

It costs an average of USD 47.06 per acre less to grow cotton using regenerative management systems.

Cotton represents over 80% of Ralph Lauren Corporation’s total material use, and as part of its sustainability goals, it has committed that 100% of key materials, including cotton, will be sustainably sourced.

The USRCF will provide internships to students at four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

In March 2022, the VF Foundation (the grant-making arm of VF Corporation, owner of brands such as Vans, The North Face and Timberland) announced it was becoming a Sustaining Supporter of the fund.

Roseann Lynch – Chief People Officer, Ralph Lauren Corporation

Key Design Considerations:

Transitioning to regenerative cotton

Using regeneratively produced cotton is not the end of the story

'Regenerative’ is more than a label

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