Better Cotton Initiative: Advancing quality, sustainability, and competitiveness
Tashkent hosted the second meeting of the National Advisory Council to support the BCI in Uzbekistan.
The event, jointly organized by the Agency for the Development of Light Industry under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan and the Uzbekistan office of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), gathered representatives from government agencies, cotton and textile clusters, BCI specialists, and other sector stakeholders.
At the meeting, First Deputy Director of the Agency for the Development of Light Industry Bakhtiyor Muhammadsaidov, BCI Country Manager for Uzbekistan Katerina Gorbunova, and others highlighted the need to develop the BCI in Uzbekistan. They stressed the importance of expanding the adoption of international standards within the cotton and textile sectors, promoting sustainable production practices, and boosting the global competitiveness of local producers.
The Better Cotton program offers clusters and producers widespread opportunities to adopt international standards, enhance employee skills, and apply sustainable cotton production practices. At present, five cotton and textile clusters hold Better Cotton licenses, with an additional 16 clusters in the process of obtaining approval.
Along with the work underway in the sector, participants discussed in detail ways to help businesses comply with international standards, reduce certification-related barriers, establish a systematic dialogue between BCI and government organizations, and increase enterprises’ export potential. The participants stressed the importance of continuing efforts in these areas.
As part of the event, Better Cotton presented certificates to Fergana Global Textile, Sultan Tex Group, Deniz Teks, and Zelal Tekstil, all of which had confirmed their compliance with Better Cotton standards.
Nasiba Ziyodullayeva, UzA
