What is BCI (good cotton), how is BCI certified, and how much is the certification fee?

Key concepts

Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)

Swiss good cotton Development Association

It is a non-profit international member organization committed to improving cotton planting methods, promoting the sustainable development of the cotton industry, and making good cotton a mainstream sustainable commodity in the world.

Better Cotton

Good cotton

Good cotton refers to cotton flowers produced by cotton farmers who have been recognized by BCI under good cotton standards or equivalent standards by cultivating farmers to reasonably use chemical fertilizers and pesticides, form correct operation specifications, reduce damage to crops and soil, effectively use water resources, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of workers. Good cotton has defined 7 basic principles and 42 production standards worldwide.

Better Cotton Credit Unit (BCCU)

Good cotton quota

1 bccu=1 kg of good cotton

After the ginning plant link in the supply chain, all good cotton buying and selling activities must simultaneously carry out the corresponding BCCU transfer (from the supplier to the Buyer / receiver) on the BCP traceability platform. BCCU helps supply chain units calculate the quantity of good cotton they purchase in good cotton product orders

Mass Balance Administrative（MBA）

The principle of tracing in and out balance

BCI is an agricultural project to train cotton farmers to improve cotton planting, help farmers to grow cotton more sustainably and safeguard their rights. Therefore, in terms of quality, good cotton is no different from ordinary cotton.

Output Declaration Form（ODF）

Good cotton sales declaration

It is also called BCI Certificate in the industry. When BCI members or BCP users provide customers with good cotton products, if the customer does not have a BCP account number in the BCI system (non members and non users), the manufacturer will issue an ODF declaration form at the time of delivery to prove that the business is a good cotton business. The declaration form is marked with key information such as the buyer and seller, BCCU quota, etc. the customer can deliver the ODF form to the downstream until the final brand.

*If both the buyer and the seller are members or users of BCI and both have retroactive platform accounts, they can transfer the quota directly from their online accounts without issuing an ODF.

BCI member

In the cotton industry supply chain, if cotton merchants, yarn mills and retail brands want to join BCI for good cotton related business or publicity, they must apply for membership of BCI

*In order to regulate the supply of good cotton in the supply chain, members are mandatory

Better Cotton Platform User (BCP User)

BCP user

In the supply chain, the supply chain units behind the yarn factory, such as fabric factory, finished product factory and trader, can apply for BCP user account if they want to join BCI

Can our company apply for BCI

In the supply chain of good cotton, if you want to carry out good cotton business, cotton merchants and yarn factories must apply to become BCI members.

Supply chain units after yarn factories, such as fabric factories, finished product factories, traders, etc., can apply to become BCP members if they need to join BCI, and have an online traceability platform account to transfer good cotton quota online.

If you have not applied to become a BCP member, you can find a supplier with good cotton BCCU quota, and the upstream supplier will provide an ODF declaration with key information such as the buyer and seller, BCCU quota, etc. during the actual business operation to prove that the product involves good cotton business.

Note:

BCP users are not forced to join. Whether it is necessary to join depends on the most terminal retail brand.

If the retail brand requires online transfer to BCCU, each unit in the supply chain needs to become a BCP user (because online quota transfer can only occur between the direct buyer and the seller). If the brand accepts the transfer form of offline ODF declaration, it may not apply to become a BCP user.

*From january1,2020, all supply chain units that buy and sell good cotton products must become BCP users.

Retail brands can only promote BCI and good cotton after they join BCI members.

BCI members are divided into two types, one is BCP and the other is BCI. In short, yarn must be BCI before it. Yarn can apply for BCP in the future. The BCP registration fee is 500 euros and the BCI registration fee is 2000 euros (certificates can be issued after a period of about one month)

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