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A cotton farmer in the Primark Cotton Project in India
Primark depends on the agricultural sector for its raw materials, such as cotton, which is the main fibre used in Primark’s products. Globally, cotton is the most widely grown non-food crop, providing income for more than 250 million people1. Climate change and extreme weather events pose significant risks to this sector, threatening both the supply chain and the livelihoods of farmers.
Primark set up the Primark Cotton Project (formerly the Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme2) in India in 2013. The Primark Cotton Project trains farmers, predominantly smallholder farmers, to reduce water use and dependence on chemical fertilisers and pesticides. It also teaches skills such as seed selection, land preparation, sowing and harvesting.
Beyond training, the Primark Cotton Project is providing additional support to help farmers manage the consequences of climate change. Primark has supported farmers recovering from climate-related disasters, including assisting over 100 farmers in Gujarat affected by cyclone damage. This has included funding for construction of rainwater harvesting structures to provide access to fresh drinking water.
To explore ways to help build cotton farmers’ resilience, Primark commissioned the International Institute for Environment and Development to assess the availability and uptake of insurance products for farmers that guard against risks such as the effects of extreme heat on production. The findings from this will be used to understand how Primark can better support potential new solutions to facilitate farmers’ access to suitable insurance.
Soil health and biodiversity loss pose potentially significant challenges to the global food system. Conventional farming methods, which can depend on chemical inputs, may contribute to soil degradation, reduced agricultural productivity and a decline in biodiversity.
Primark has partnered with Biodiversify since 2021 to develop a robust Biodiversity Monitoring framework for the Primark Cotton Project. This is aligned with leading standards and guidelines, including the Science Based Targets for Nature (SBTN), the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This framework will enable the business to identify and mitigate biodiversity-related risks within the supply chain.
Primark uses man-made cellulosic fibres derived from wood-pulp, such as viscose, to make its products. It also uses paper in its packaging and wood in some of its products. Primark has its own Wood and Wood-Derived Fibre Policy, which sets out its approach to sourcing these materials responsibly.
Primark will be impacted by the upcoming EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Primark is working with external bodies and suppliers to address the new requirements.
In addition to this ongoing work, Primark has also been a partner of the not-for-profit environmental organisation, Canopy, since 2022. Primark continues to work alongside other fashion brands through the CanopyStyle initiative, which aims to transition fashion supply chains away from using ancient and endangered forest material and bring lower-impact fabric alternatives to customers. Primark is part of Canopy’s Pack4Good initiative, which is working to ensure companies move away from forests to use low-impact paper packaging options and reduce dependency on virgin wood-derived packaging. All Primark suppliers are required to source only from man-made cellulosic fibre producers that are green rated by Canopy’s Hot Button ranking.
As Primark increases the use of more sustainably sourced materials across its product range, it continues to ensure that animal welfare is an integral part of its selection criteria.
Animal-derived materials such as leather, wool, cashmere, mohair and alpaca make up around 1% of the materials used in Primark products. The business is committed to responsibly sourcing any materials, even if used in small quantities. Primark supports the development of animal welfare standards and certifications, having an Animal-Derived Material Policy that requires suppliers to comply with industry standards.
Primark does not support the use of animal testing that is not required by law. Its own-brand cosmetics have been approved by the Leaping Bunny Program, an internationally recognised gold standard for cruelty-free products, since 2021.
2 The Primark Sustainable Cotton Programme was renamed to the Primark Cotton Project in 2024. All other aspects of the programme remain the same, and we will continue to train cotton farmers in methods to reduce the environmental impact of the cotton they grow in the regions where the Primark Cotton Project operates.
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A cotton farmer in the Primark Cotton Project, India
Primark has committed that 100% of the cotton in its clothing will be either organic, recycled or from the Primark Cotton Project by 2027. In 2023/24, 57% of its cotton clothing units sold contained cotton that was organic, recycled or from the Primark Cotton Project.
The Primark Cotton Project equips smallholder farmers with essential knowledge and skills to drive the adoption of more sustainable agriculture practices. These include techniques to improve yields, reduce chemical inputs such as pesticides and fertilisers, and improve farmer incomes.
Primark started the Primark Cotton Project in India in collaboration with agronomic experts CottonConnect and the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). The project subsequently expanded to Pakistan and Bangladesh where it also works with local partners, Rural Education and Economic Development Society (Reeds) in Pakistan and Thengamara Mohila Sabuj Sangha (TMSS) in Bangladesh. As at the end of July 2024, 309,394 farmers have received training through the Primark Cotton Project.
Traceability is a fundamental element of the Primark Cotton Project. Primark uses CottonConnect’s system, TraceBale, to track and help segregate the cotton produced by farmers in the project as it flows through the supply chain, from farmers through to ginners and spinners. Primark was also one of the first high street fashion retailers to partner with Oritain, a specialist scientific verification firm which uses forensic science techniques to verify the origin of cotton samples.
Over recent years, Primark has been exploring how to evolve the Primark Cotton Project to include specific training for smallholder cotton farmers on more regenerative farming practices.
In 2024, around 3,000 farmers in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan completed their third and final year of a pilot initiative aligned to CottonConnect’s REEL Regenerative Code. The farmers are now trained in practices such as reducing soil tillage and promoting agroforestry.
If effectively implemented, such practices can be beneficial to both the environment and farmers. For example, reduced tillage helps to preserve the soil structure and therefore better supports plant growth. It may also help the soil to retain carbon, therefore potentially reducing emissions released into the atmosphere.
By the second year of the pilot, Primark found that 80% of farmers had implemented at least two soil health practices (such as crop rotation or intercropping), 55% at least two pest management practices (such as homemade bio-pesticides and use of traps) and 26% one water management practice (like furrow or micro irrigation). Many farmers also chose to plant trees around the cotton farms with the aim to improve biodiversity.
The data from year three is still being collected but Primark expects to see an increase in the uptake of regenerative practices across all areas among the farmers.
In 2023/24, Primark also:
The Primark Cotton Project promotes initiatives among farmers intended to help mitigate the effects of climate change on their crops while aiming to increase their income. For example, farmers have been supported to establish ‘input centres’. These centres produce bio-based pesticides which enable a reduction in the use of chemical pesticides. Additionally, these centres provide an additional source of income to the farmers operating them.
Monitoring for biodiversity on a Primark Cotton Project farm in India
In March 2024, Primark began a long-term biodiversity monitoring programme with its partners in Gujarat, India. The programme is focused on delivering a better understanding of how the biodiversity in Primark’s cotton supply chain changes over time.
The programme was developed from learnings derived from a pilot biodiversity field survey carried out in partnership with Biodiversify and the Srushti Conservation Foundation on Primark Cotton Project farms in Gujarat. Primark’s partners CottonConnect and SEWA were also involved in facilitating the surveys as well as providing more in-depth local context.
14 farms across five villages were selected for the programme based on their natural habitat profile and logistical considerations. Species monitored have included plants, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals, alongside soil sampling. A questionnaire with local farmers assessed the level of understanding and awareness of biodiversity among the farmers to add further context.
This pilot has enabled Primark to define a biodiversity monitoring methodology that can be applied over time and elsewhere.
