Regenerative Cotton Glossary

Regenerative Cotton

Short definition: Cotton grown using regenerative farming methods that restore soil, biodiversity, and ecosystem health.
Extended explanation: Regenerative cotton focuses on improving rather than merely sustaining agricultural systems. Practices such as crop rotation, cover cropping, and minimal tillage enhance soil structure, increase carbon sequestration, and reduce dependency on synthetic fertilizers. For brands, it represents a credible, measurable step beyond organic cotton toward net-positive impact sourcing.

Regenerative Agriculture

Short definition: A holistic farming approach that restores natural systems and enhances biodiversity, soil fertility, and water cycles.
Extended explanation: Regenerative agriculture is based on continuous improvement — aiming to bring agricultural land into a better state than before. It integrates ecological science, local knowledge, and circular resource management. Within cotton production, it directly supports climate resilience, farmer livelihoods, and long-term supply stability.

Regenerative Cotton Standard® (RCS)

Short definition: A voluntary standard developed by the Aid by Trade Foundation for cotton produced through regenerative farming practices.
Extended explanation: The RCS defines measurable criteria for soil health, biodiversity, animal welfare, and farmer wellbeing. It provides verified data, transparent traceability via the Hard Identity Preserved (HIP) model, and alignment with EU frameworks like the Green Claims Directive and CSRD. RCS enables brands to source cotton that is both environmentally restorative and socially responsible.

Hard Identity Preserved (HIP) Chain of Custody

Short definition: The strictest chain-of-custody system ensuring full traceability of RCS-verified cotton from field to finished product.
Extended explanation: Under the HIP model, each cotton batch receives a unique identifier that remains unchanged through every production stage. Mixing with non-certified cotton is prohibited, and all supply-chain partners must comply with the AbTF Transparency Standard. HIP provides the verifiable data needed for credible sustainability claims and EU compliance.

Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF)

Short definition: A non-profit organization that develops sustainability standards like Cotton made in Africa® and the Regenerative Cotton Standard®.
Extended explanation: AbTF’s mission is to use trade rather than aid to drive sustainable development in cotton farming. It supports smallholder farmers through training, certification systems, and transparent supply-chain standards that connect producers with responsible global brands.

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA)

Short definition: A sustainability standard for cotton from Sub-Saharan Africa focused on environmental protection and social impact.
Extended explanation: Established in 2005 by AbTF, CmiA promotes improved farming techniques, gender equality, and reduced pesticide use. It operates under a mass-balance chain-of-custody model and supports millions of African smallholders. CmiA and RCS complement each other within AbTF’s portfolio of responsible cotton initiatives.

Sustainable Cotton Sourcing

Short definition: The practice of procuring cotton grown with reduced environmental impact and improved social outcomes.
Extended explanation: Sustainable sourcing involves selecting verified suppliers, traceable materials, and certified standards. For brands, it ensures regulatory compliance, supply-chain transparency, and stronger ESG reporting aligned with global frameworks.

Traceability

Short definition: The ability to track cotton from its origin at the farm through every stage of the supply chain.
Extended explanation: Traceability systems capture data on production, processing, and trading activities, ensuring transparency and accountability. In the RCS, the HIP model guarantees uninterrupted traceability — an essential component for compliance with the EU Green Claims Directive and CSRD.

Transparency

Short definition: Open and verifiable disclosure of data about sourcing, production, and social impact.
Extended explanation: Transparency allows brands, regulators, and consumers to validate sustainability claims. The RCS Transparency Standard defines how supply-chain partners must record and share information, enabling consistent, auditable data across all tiers.

EU Green Claims Directive

Short definition: An EU regulation requiring companies to substantiate all environmental claims with verifiable, science-based evidence.
Extended explanation: The directive combats greenwashing by enforcing clear criteria for how sustainability claims are made and verified. Brands using RCS benefit from independently audited data that meet the Directive’s substantiation requirements.

Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)

Short definition: EU legislation mandating standardized sustainability reporting for large and listed companies.
Extended explanation: The CSRD requires disclosure of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impacts using European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). Verified data from RCS supports textile brands in fulfilling CSRD obligations for climate, biodiversity, and supply-chain transparency.

Empowering Consumers Directive

Short definition: EU regulation ensuring consumers receive clear, evidence-based product sustainability information.
Extended explanation: The directive complements the Green Claims Directive by restricting generic marketing terms unless supported by verifiable data. Through RCS traceability, brands can provide accurate, consumer-ready sustainability details.

ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance)

Short definition: A framework for evaluating corporate sustainability performance across environmental, social, and governance factors.
Extended explanation: ESG reporting assesses how a company manages resources, people, and ethics. Textile brands sourcing regenerative cotton can strengthen all three ESG pillars by improving environmental impact, supporting smallholders, and adopting transparent governance standards.

Smallholder Farmers

Short definition: Independent farmers managing small plots of land, often forming the backbone of global cotton production.
Extended explanation: RCS centers smallholders as key agents of change. By providing training, fair pricing, and regenerative methods, the standard enhances livelihoods while strengthening environmental resilience at the community level.

Biodiversity

Short definition: The variety of plant and animal life within an ecosystem.
Extended explanation: In cotton farming, biodiversity supports pollination, pest control, and soil health. Regenerative systems actively restore habitats and increase species diversity, ensuring ecological balance and long-term productivity.

Soil Health

Short definition: The capacity of soil to function as a living ecosystem supporting plants, animals, and people.
Extended explanation: Healthy soils store carbon, retain water, and resist erosion. Regenerative cotton farming enhances soil health through reduced tillage, cover crops, and organic nutrient management — delivering measurable environmental benefits.

Carbon Sequestration

Short definition: The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon in soil and vegetation.
Extended explanation: Regenerative farming increases soil organic matter, turning agricultural land into a natural carbon sink. This measurable outcome supports brand climate targets and ESG reporting under frameworks such as the CSRD.

Mass Balance System

Short definition: A chain-of-custody model that allows certified and non-certified materials to be mixed while tracking certified volumes administratively.
Extended explanation: While widely used, mass balance offers limited proof of physical traceability. The RCS HIP model goes beyond by ensuring that regenerative cotton is never mixed with non-certified fiber, providing stronger assurance for brands.

AbTF Transparency Standard

Short definition: A set of operational requirements defining transparency and data integrity within the RCS supply chain.
Extended explanation: The standard outlines documentation, reporting, and auditing rules for all organizations handling RCS cotton. It ensures consistent data quality, secure information flow, and credibility across the entire chain of custody.

Double Materiality

Short definition: A CSRD principle requiring companies to report both how sustainability issues affect them and how they affect the world.
Extended explanation: Textile brands must assess material impacts in both directions — for example, how climate change affects cotton yields, and how their operations influence ecosystems. Data from regenerative farming provides robust input for double materiality assessments.

EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities

Short definition: A classification system defining environmentally sustainable economic activities in the EU.
Extended explanation: Textile companies sourcing regenerative cotton can use verified RCS data to demonstrate alignment with the taxonomy’s environmental objectives, particularly on climate change mitigation and ecosystem protection.

Greenwashing

Short definition: Misleading communication about environmental performance or sustainability claims.
Extended explanation: The EU Green Claims Directive aims to eliminate greenwashing by enforcing evidence-based communication. The RCS provides third-party verified data, ensuring brands can make trustworthy and compliant sustainability claims.

Digital Product Passport (DPP)

Short definition: A digital record that tracks product composition, origin, and environmental footprint across its lifecycle.
Extended explanation: The forthcoming EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) will require DPPs. Traceability data from RCS’s HIP model can feed directly into these passports, enabling transparent consumer information.

Sustainable Textiles

Short definition: Textiles produced with reduced environmental impact and responsible social practices.
Extended explanation: Sustainable textiles incorporate responsible sourcing, energy efficiency, and fair labor conditions. Regenerative cotton represents a next-generation solution, contributing to circularity and positive ecological restoration.