Resilience is a complex calculation, especially now. Shifting tariffs are reshaping trade, global conflicts are disrupting shipping routes, and incoming EU legislation is enforcing traceability. When it comes to cotton — the second most used fiber in the world, after polyester — all of these forces are amplified by a long history of supply chain scandals, which can pose both reputational and financial risks. Past indiscretions have included reports of fraudulent certification practices in the organic cotton industries in India and Türkiye, the discovery of forced labor in the cotton fields of Turkmenistan and China, and conventional cotton’s reputation as a thirsty, resource-hungry, polluting crop.
Europe is not immune to supply chain scandals, but European cotton is being positioned as an antidote to this due to local legislation that promotes higher standards across farming practices, labor, and traceability. In theory, shorter supply chains, nearer to brand headquarters, are easier to control, so European cotton represents an opportunity to lead with best practice. “Luxury brands can go and visit; they can see what is being grown, where it’s being grown, and who is growing it,” says Tricia Carey, a board member of the denim industry’s Transformers Foundation. “That’s huge.”
To start, European cotton must comply with EU land management regulations, including prohibitions on GMO seeds and restrictions on the use of pesticides and fertilizers. In 2024, the European Cotton Alliance (ECA) introduced chain-of-custody technology under the EUCOTTON quality mark, which it says guarantees transparency from field to end product by licensing the entire supply chain from gins to manufacturers. Although the ECA governs all European cotton, it’s unclear how many businesses have adopted the mark.
While cotton farming has a long history in Europe, it’s still relatively nascent as a commercial industry. European cotton production accounts for just 2% of the world’s cotton. Greece makes up 80% of this (about 280,000 tonnes), and Spain produces the remaining 20% (about 72,000 tonnes). Pilot projects like Armani’s (which produces just three tonnes of cotton per year) are negligible.
Scaling with sustainability in mind
It’s not just pride driving best practice. The Mediterranean is incredibly vulnerable to rising temperatures, water scarcity, and wildfires. “If we do want to get a cotton supply chain working in Europe, we need it to be regenerative from the beginning,” says Kolbe Semhoun. “We have to be thinking in a way that’s adaptable to climate change and making sure it isn’t an additional pull on scarce resources. Cotton can be part of the climate change solution.”
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