The Alliance of Cotton & Textile Stakeholders on Regenerative Agriculture (ACRE), founded by Solidaridad Asia, Centre for Responsible Business, and regenagri, hosted a business roundtable alongside Industry Association partner, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) in Bengaluru.
The ACRE platform offers a range of solutions, including regenagri certification, traceability solutions, field implementation involving farmers and farming communities, and supply chain assessments for apparel and textiles.
Brands and apparel manufacturers who participated in the programme included Gokuldas Exports, NIKE, Texport Industries, H&M, Shahi Exports, Arvind, Welspun, Indian Design, and Sulochona mills.
Chandrima Chatterjee, General Secretary of CITI, expressed support for the ACRE platform, emphasising the importance of bringing stakeholders together to work towards solutions that balance the industry’s growth aspirations with environmental goals.
Shatadru Chattopadhayay, MD, Solidaridad Asia stated, “ACRE aligns with Solidaridad’s mission to create a more sustainable cotton value chain and invites industry stakeholders to join the platform to discuss the global textile industry’s commitment to sustainability.”
“We’re proud to be part of the ACRE initiative to support smallholders in India to benefit from the transition to regenerative agriculture. As of today, approximately 250,000 Ha of farms in India are certified to regenagri®,” said Franco Costantini, CEO, regenagri.
Prashant Pastore, Lead Water & Sustainable Agriculture, Solidaridad Asia, and Rijit Sengupta, CEO, Center for Responsible Business (CRB), discussed the commitment of the global textile industry to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and ensure equity within their supply and value chains. They also outlined international and national legislation promoting sustainable global value chains.
