Turkey is one of the largest cotton trading hubs in the world. Cotton is an important crop in Turkey, where there is a large domestic textile industry that relies on cotton production. In recent times, production has been encouraged in Turkey in an attempt to reverse the difficulties farmers have faced due to political instabilities at the border, along with other challenges such as overuse of pesticides and fertilizers.
Cotton is the primary source of income for millions of people in Turkey – home to age-old cotton production practices. BCI started working with its Strategic Partner, the Good Cotton Practices Association (IPUD), in the country in 2011 when leading actors in the Turkish Cotton Sector approached BCI with an aim to start Better Cotton production in their country.
Given the importance of Turkey in the textile supply chain, the GIF is collaborating with IPUD to explore how Better Cotton production can be scaled to a national level. Over the course of 2016, BCI also began scouting for potential Implementing Partners through the Fund to ensure it can scale successfully. In 2020-21, the Fund worked with three IPs on three projects. The Fund aims to expand Better Cotton production to all four cotton-producing regions in the country, covering 25 provinces.