Bestseller, a Danish fashion chain, claims to be the first to use CmiA-Organic cotton in its collections. Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) organic cotton has been adopted by a few Bestseller brands, reflecting the company's continuing efforts to expand the use of more "sustainable" materials.

Organic cotton is in high demand. However, only a small percentage of cotton farmers are switching to organic methods. This is due to the fact that it takes an average of three years for a farmer to obtain organic certification because the soil must regenerate from pesticides and synthetic fertilisers widely used in traditional cotton farming.

In the opposite, farmers strive further for lower yields and stricter controls to ensure that the soil finally meets universal organic certification requirements.

According to Gudrun Gudmundsdottir, Bestseller's Sustainable Materials Specialist, many smallholder producers, don't dare to take the risk of going through the difficult conversion process without the right resources.

To ease farmers' worries, Bestseller has pledged earlier this month that it would support farmers going organic by adding ‘in-conversion' cotton to its portfolio. In collaboration with CmiA, this project will seek to expand on this by urging farmers to switch to organic cotton farming.

CmiA's organic cotton is said to be good for the world as well as the people who grow it. Inside its cotton supply chain, the Danish brand is setting the groundwork for transformative improvements. Just a few weeks earlier, the company promised to help farmers transition to organic farming by integrating their materials until the transition is complete.