BCI And Uzbekistan Light Industry Agency Launch New Fund To Boost Sustainable Cotton Farming
The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has announced a strategic partnership with Uzbekistan’s newly established Light Industry Agency to expand financial support for cotton clusters adopting sustainable agricultural practices.
Under the agreement, the agency will oversee a new fund designed to reimburse the cost of farm- and supply chain-level certification against BCI standards. By reducing certification expenses, one of the major barriers to entry, the initiative aims to accelerate the uptake of sustainable farming methods across Uzbekistan’s cotton sector.
Katerina Gorbunova, Head of BCI’s Uzbekistan programme, highlighted the significance of the partnership said, “Our continued engagement with the Government of Uzbekistan and its entities is testament to their collaborative spirit and commitment to transforming the country’s cotton sector. Certification costs can pose challenges not only for Uzbekistan’s cotton clusters but globally, so this fund will be pivotal in advancing sustainability efforts.”
The agreement builds on the roadmap BCI signed last year with the Ministry of Agriculture and Uztekstilprom, marking a shift from planning to the operationalisation of sustainability systems including programme financing, institutional roles, and policy incentives integrated into national structures.
Nozim Kholmuradov, Director of the Light Industry Agency, underlined the ambitions behind the collaboration said, “Our strategic focus is to boost the income of cotton-producing enterprises and increase the number of Uzbek companies capable of competing on the global textile stage. A close partnership with BCI will be essential to achieving this goal.”
The partnership was unveiled at BCI’s annual multistakeholder meeting in Tashkent, which brought together cotton producers, government officials, civil society, knowledge partners, donors, brands, and retailers. Discussions centred on both field and market challenges from strengthening social due diligence to advancing regenerative farming practices.
Participants included government ministers, BCI staff, and representatives from the National Commission on Combating Human Trafficking and Decent Work, International Labour Organization, Cotton Campaign, Food and Agriculture Organization and Uztekstilprom, highlighting broad industry engagement in Uzbekistan’s sustainable cotton transition.
