Comparing conventional and certified organic cotton supply chains: the case of Mali

Abstract

The certified organic cotton supply chain is compared to the conventional cotton supply chain in Mali. The most important differences between the two supply chains are highlighted in this study. Switching to organic production may offer a range of potential advantages to cotton farmers, including lower expenses for farm inputs, healthier soils, diverse sources of income, and higher prices. A comparison of the gross margins of both production methods indicates that Mali organic cotton may be able to offer higher gross margins than conventional cotton farming.

An Exploratory Study of the Mechanism of Sustainable Value Creation in the Luxury Fashion Industry

“…It is true that in the fashion industry, more and more companies (e.g., Veja and Patagonia) have started to adopt different sustainable strategies and practices (e.g., use of eco-friendly materials, reuse and recycling of materials, clean production, green certifications and green products) so as to pursue green manufacturing and supply chains [13,[31][32][33]. Many studies have indicated that the "green fashion" can enhance their brand image, improve fashion companies' competiveness and retain more customers [34][35][36].…”

A design framework for enabling sustainability in the clothing sector

“…The result is increasingly shorter life cycle of products in an industry that has already a significant environmental impact, particularly on the phases of dyeing, drying and finishing, with and intensive use of chemical products and natural resources (De Brito et Al. 2008;Lakhal et Al. 2008;Caniato et Al.…”

Strategic approaches to sustainability in fashion supply chain management

“…Several authors have investigated sustainability in fashion production -which is often characterised by its high environmental impacts and the intense use of chemical products and natural resources (Lakhal, Sidibé, and H'Mida 2008;Park and Dickson 2008) -verifying the possibility of developing new green production technologies that strive towards the goal of zero emissions (Nieminem et al 2007;Saravanabhavan et al 2008;Sawhney et al 2008;Weingarten, Pagell, and Fynes 2012). From the social perspective, manufacturing processes have recently been accused of shortcomings in regard to workers' conditions, and some companies have implemented strict controls to trace their production chains by mapping their firsttier productive plants and considering their subcontractors (De Brito, Carbone, and Blanquart 2008).…”

“…Chaabane, Ramudhin, and Paquet 2011;Barber, Beach, and Zolkiewski 2012;Dey and Cheffi 2013;Genovese et al 2014;Lee et al 2015; Montoya-Torres, Gutierrez-Franco, and Blanco 2015) sustainability matters because sustainability initiatives are becoming crucial to companies' strategies (Carter and Rogers 2008;Sureeyatanapas, Yang, and Bamford 2015). The fashion industry -which is characterised by very short product life cycles, global and fragmented supply chains and differentiation advantages that are often based primarily on product style (Bruce and Daly 2011) -is one of the most challenging sectors in regard to sustainability (Søndergård, Hansen, and Holm 2004;Lakhal, Sidibé, and H'Mida 2008;Caniato et al 2012;Choi and Chiu 2012). Many recent scandals, such as the Dhaka disaster in 2013, in which approximately 1200 workers died due to the collapse of a clothing factory, have had a negative impact on fashion brands and helped raise awareness of social issues related to safety and work conditions (Seuring and Müller 2008).…”