Brazil’s Renner and Reserva clothing chains will start to trace and certify cotton

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers (Abrapa) launched today, in partnership with Renner clothing chain and Reserva, the SouABR program (an acronym for Responsible Brazilian Cotton), which will present to consumers information about the certified origin of the lint and the manufacturing process of the clothes available at the stores.

Reserva starts distributing the first collection that integrates the program, aimed at the male public, and Renner will join the project in 2022, with a group for the female segment. “The preference for certified and traceable cotton demonstrates a commitment not only to product quality but to socio-environmental responsibility and transparency in the textile industry,” said, in a statement, Fernando Sigal, product director at Reserva.

The checking of traceability will be done by reading a QR Code on the clothing’s label. The consumer will have information about the farm where the cotton came from, the spinning mill where the lint was processed, and the weaving or knitting mill that developed the product.

“The journey to bring this certification to the palm of the consumer’s hand is a long one. Our client is more demanding, and we want to deliver what he asks for responsibility and transparency,” said Júlio Cézar Busato, Abrapa’s president.

After a year and a half of development, the association states that SouABR is the first traceability program by blockchain for the textile industry in Brazil. “This technology provides digitization that makes information accessible and auditable at all stages of the process, ensuring reliability,” added Flavio Redi, CEO of EcoTrace, the company responsible for the technological design of the initiative.

Created in 2016, the ABR certification has 178 verification items distributed over eight criteria. Data on environmental performance, good agronomic practices, labor relations, and the absence of situations analogous to slavery are on the list.

The following are part of the chain of Reserva suppliers that participate in SouABR: the spinning mills Incofios and Fiação Fio Puro, the weaving mills RenauxView and Vicunha, the knitting mill Dalila Têxtil, and the clothing manufacturers ByCotton, EGM, and Lavinorte. As of 2023, the traceability program will be available to the entire domestic textile chain.

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