Responsible cotton sourcing
Soft, strong and versatile, quality cotton has been one of our most-loved fabrics and a huge part of our DNA since The White Company began, over 30 years ago with beautifully crafted cotton bed linen.
As we’ve grown, so has our responsibility to the people and places behind it. Through our Cotton Programme, we’re establishing an ecosystem of preferred growing practices, by adopting better farming practices, stronger supply chains and a more secure future for the people who grow it and for the planet that makes it possible.
CottonConnect
Driven by a vision to reimagine the future for supply chains, CottonConnect’s mission is to enhance the resilience of cotton production by connecting brands with the farming communities who grow the cotton used in their products.
Through its REEL Cotton Code, which stands for Responsible Environment Enhanced Livelihoods, CottonConnect works with brands to implement agricultural training programmes that work to improve the livelihoods of farming communities, while caring for the environment.
Our REEL Cotton Programme
We rely on very best materials to make our ranges exceptional, and Egyptian cotton has long been considered as some of the finest cotton there is. But, for the communities who grow it,
a changing climate brings increasing challenges. That’s why,
in 2022, we joined forces with our supplier and partnered with CottonConnect to launch our very own REEL Cotton Programme in Egypt to produce the cotton used in our Savoy and Symons bed linen collections – helping farming communities
build a more resilient future.
Now in its fourth year, the programme continues to grow.
During the 2024–25 season, 377 farmers have been trained across 2 cooperatives and 12 village groups: Gharbiya Governorate in Samul village and Damietta Governorate in Tafteesh Tani
at no cost to them. It’s progress we’re proud of – for the farmers involved and for the environment we all share.
Success, in numbers
+14.6%
yields
+22%
profit
-5.4%
input costs
-16.3%
chemical fertiliser use
-20.2%
chemical pesticide use
-11%
water use
*Results are from our impact assessment for the growing season 2024-25, using data from farmers field books and compared with untrained farmers.
Our programme partners
Led by CottonConnect’s agriculture experts, the programme is delivered in collaboration with respected Egyptian institutions including the Cotton Research Institute (CRI) and the Cotton Arbitration and Testing General Organisation (CATGO).
Together, we’re supporting the adoption of responsible farming practices while protecting the renowned quality and credibility of Egyptian cotton.
Notes from the cotton field
Deepening our connection to the growers and producers who cultivate and process the materials we use in our products is a key priority for us. Last year, alongside our supplier and the CottonConnect team, we visited one of the farming communities in Egypt to witness the cotton harvest. We got to see firsthand how our programme has supported farming communities to adopt more responsible practices, supporting their families, community and environment.
Find out more
Take a look at other ways we’re committed to improving our practices.
