LPP as a partner of Cotton made in Africa
The Polish clothing company has joined the group of partners of Cotton made in Africa – a renowned international standard for sustainable production of African cotton. The activities undertaken by the Aid by Trade Foundation – the initiator of Cotton Made in Africa – are in line with LPP’s strategic goals, which include consistent increasing of the share of environmentally-friendly products, as well as implementation of best practices and production standards supporting sustainable development of the textile industry.
Established in 2005, the Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) is one of the leading international initiatives promoting sustainable cotton production and transparency in the textile supply chain. This internationally recognised standard aims to support small African farmers in establishing business relationships with fashion companies. Thanks to a unique formula of cooperation, CmiA’s actions also contribute to improving the social standards of nearly one million farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The funds obtained from the paid use of CmiA licences are earmarked for trainings on improving crop quality and environmentally friendly methods of cotton cultivation, improving working conditions for farmers, as well as promoting gender equality in Africa and respect for children’s rights. In addition, the local community benefits from social projects in the field of children’s education, health and safety and supporting African women on the local labour market.
– At LPP, we are aware that the sustainable development of our company will only be possible if we strive to implement solutions that reduce our impact on the environment throughout our dispersed supply chain. LPP’s joining the Cotton made in Africa initiative is yet another step in our search for new sources of sustainable cotton. African cotton with the CmiA standard is an excellent alternative to this raw material, which so far has been sourced mainly from Asian markets. Thanks to the cooperation with the Aid by Trade Foundation we can also be sure that the cotton we obtain is sourced not only in accordance with environmentally-friendly principles, but also with appropriate labour standards of the farmers who grow it or employees in cotton processing industry – comments Justyna Weryk, Sustainable Development Manager.
On the basis of the concluded agreement, LPP has contracted the purchase of CMiA-labelled cotton, the quantity of which will allow to manufacture as many as 60 million pieces of products with the composition including 95 to 100 percent of this raw material. This means that as much as 20 percent of the LPP brands collections scheduled for sale in 2022 will be made from cotton originating from sustainable cultivation. Compared to the global average, one kilogram of CmiA cotton generates up to 13 percent less greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, only 2 instead of 1563 litres of water are used to grow it, because CmiA cotton is not artificially irrigated.
– The possibility of using sources ensuring cotton grown with significantly lower CO2 emissions and limited use of natural resources is another important step in the implementation of LPP’s sustainable development strategy “For People For Our Planet” which assumes a gradual increase in the share of more environmentally friendly products in the offer of our brands. Transparency – which is ensured by the Aid by Trade Foundation’s model of building a network of contacts between producers and cotton suppliers – was also important. It allows us to exert a direct influence on the way we select the raw material used in the production of our collections, the first of which – with the Cotton made in Africa certificate – will be offered to our customers in stores already this year. An important element of this cooperation was also the fact that the Cotton made in Africa initiative is a real support for the local community involving actions aimed at knowledge transfer, improvement of the quality of life, and at the same time protection of our planet – says Dorota Jankowska-Tomków, ESG Director, LPP.
In 2020, Cotton made in Africa cooperated with about 1 million African farmers whose crops yielded around 630,000 tonnes of cotton. A total of 276 million garments were produced from that cotton bearing a certificate confirming the origin of the raw material from sustainable African cultivation. – At LPP, we believe that thanks to our network of contacts, which includes about 500 partners that make up the CmiA supply chain in 22 countries, this initiative has a chance to bring real and lasting changes to the textile sector worldwide – adds Dorota Jankowska-Tomków, ESG Director, LPP.
Photos: Martin J. Kielmann
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LPP is a Polish family business and one of the fastest growing clothing companies in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. For 30 years it has been successfully operating in Poland and abroad, offering its collections on 26 stationary markets, including in such prestigious capitals as London, Helsinki, Tel Aviv or Moscow. The online offer is available on 31 markets. LPP SA manages five fashion brands: Reserved, Cropp, House, Mohito, and Sinsay. The company has a chain of over 2000 stores with the total area of over 1.7 million sq.m. On the basis of a global supply chain, the Polish clothing producer distributes over 259 million pieces of clothing to three continents. LPP plays another important role as it employs 27 thousand people in its offices and sales structures in Poland, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in the WIG20 index and belongs to the prestigious MSCI Poland index.