The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has signed a deal with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) to promote better environmental standards and working conditions for farmers.
The APTMA, the largest such organisation in Pakistan representing 396 mills, has pledged to support efficient use of water, the conservation of natural habitats and the training of farmers.
APTMA chairman Punjab Seth Muhammad Akbar said he believed the deal would “help boost textile exports across the textile value chain from farm to fashion to foreign trade”.
Pakistan is the world’s fourth-largest cotton producer and it has the third-largest spinning capacity in Asia, after China and India, according to the BCI, which works to promote sustainability across the globe.
In 2013, the BCI licensed 46,500 farmers to produce Better Cotton in Pakistan, and these farmers achieved an average of 42 per cent higher profit than farmers using conventional techniques, and used 14 per cent less water.