Farmers, workers, and their communities
Lead the shift to organic farming and strengthen collective resilience.
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Our Theory of Change
A clear pathway showing how organic cotton can transform farming communities, supply chains, and the wider textile sector.
Our guiding principles
Our Theory of Change is grounded in a set of guiding principles that shape everything we do, from how we work with farmers to how we engage the wider cotton sector.
- Farmers have the right to grow organic cotton. Everyone has the right to buy it.
- Change isn’t happening fast enough. The cotton sector needs accelerated transformation.
- Organic cotton is the catalyst for a truly sustainable textile sector.
- Partnership is how we show we care. We can’t do it alone.
- Traditional farming can go hand in hand with innovative thinking and new technologies.
- We are honest about challenges and committed to learning and adapting together.
These principles anchor our actions and ensure farmers remain at the centre of change.
OCA’s priority actions
Guided by these principles, OCA focuses on a set of priority actions that enable scale, resilience, and long-term impact:
- Fostering resilient farming communities
- Scaling OCA’s Farm Programme responsibly
- Investing in data to drive change
- Growing an engaged OCA community
- Positioning and influencing the wider cotton and textile sector
These actions allow us to move from intention to implementation, and from pilots to scale.
Stakeholder actions
Transforming the cotton sector requires collective action. Our Theory of Change depends on aligned contributions across the value chain.
Implementing Partners & farm groups
Support the adoption of organic cotton farming and improve access to resources and good practices.
Suppliers & manufacturers
Commit to sourcing organic cotton that upholds farmer prosperity and organic integrity.
Brands & retailers
Adopt sourcing practices that reward organic farmers and advance fair, transparent supply chains.
Civil society & NGOs
Champion farmer voices and advocate for nature, climate resilience, and equitable sector change.
Donors & philanthropy
Invest in scalable solutions that advance organic cotton and deliver positive social and environmental impact.
Our outcomes
Our collective actions lead to measurable outcomes across three core areas:
A healthier planet
- Fertile soils for future generations
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
- Enhanced biodiversity on farms
- Conservation of water resources
Farmer prosperity and livelihoods
- Higher income from organic cotton
- Closing the gap toward living income
Better working conditions and gender equality
- Improved working conditions on farms
- Empowered women in farming communities
Together, these outcomes contribute to a transparent, responsible, and resilient organic cotton supply chain that prioritises prosperity and wellbeing for farming communities, regenerates ecosystems, and advances sustainability across the textile industry.
Our vision for success
We envision a future where, every time a farmer switches to organic cotton, there is a ripple effect of positivity.
Farmers earn more and have access to better working conditions and secure livelihoods. Their land and soils are regenerated, biodiversity thrives, and together we contribute to combating climate change.
We call this the Organic Cotton Effect.
Join our mission
By 2030, we aim to support a resilient and responsible cotton sector where organic cotton drives positive change. Each transition to organic can strengthen farmer livelihoods, regenerate ecosystems, and build more sustainable supply chains. Together with partners across the sector, we are accelerating the Organic Cotton Effect for the benefit of people, nature, and future generations.
