OCA Platform
Our global collective of brands, retailers, supply chain partners, civil society organisations, philanthropic foundations and academics are united in their efforts to safeguard the future of organic cotton.
What We Do
We’re creating a transparent, responsible, and resilient organic cotton supply chain that promotes farmer prosperity and advances the organic cotton sector’s shared sustainability goals. As an accelerator, we want to get to this future, faster.
A catalyst for change
We’ve made a commitment to bring integrity, supply security and measurable social and environmental impact to organic cotton. How do we do this? Our Programmes deliver the key solutions required for the organic cotton sector to flourish. Our Platform facilitates the collaboration needed to create meaningful impact throughout the value chain. To succeed in our mission, we focus our efforts on three commitments which are the foundation of our interventions:
- Convening the sector around a common agenda
- Improving farmer profitability and prosperity
- Enhancing the integrity of the organic cotton sector
How we work
We’re driving real change on the ground to bring about a future where the benefits of organic cotton are realised for people and planet.
Measuring Results
Everything OCA does is focused on achieving the greatest possible impact in line with our mission, in the most efficient, effective and sustainable way possible. To ensure this, OCA makes monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and learning a key part of our work. In practice, M&E means constant analysis, reflection and iteration of our work – enabling successful tailoring of approaches to local problems and contexts and full transparency for our donors and partners.
FAQ
OCA acts as a catalyst for change. It creates the conditions for organic cotton to thrive; it convenes the sector around a common agenda, it improves farmer prosperity and it bolsters the integrity of the organic cotton sector.
The OCA platform receives funding from grants and from OCA’s Contributors through an annual Contributor fee. In addition, participating Contributors in the Farm Programme fund their own farm projects.
OCA’s investments are overseen and led by a Board of Trustees representing the different stakeholder groups within the organic cotton and apparel sector. OCA’s Board of Trustees sets and stewards the organisation’s long-term strategic vision and direction, priorities and policies, and provides ultimate financial oversight. OCA also relies on input, directional guidance, and tactical execution support from its broader community of Contributor stakeholders (brands and retailers, manufacturers, traders, farmer organisations, philanthropy, civil society, and research institutes) and ad-hoc Task Forces, which are created as relevant to achieve specific objectives to further OCA’s mission.
OCA’s mission is to unite the sector to unleash the potential of organic cotton and deliver positive change for people and the planet. It acts as a conduit between the organic cotton standards and other industry and civil society stakeholders. OCA therefore has dialogue and collaboration with its Contributors and is supportive of other like-minded organisations and initiatives, including Textile Exchange and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
OCA unites the sector around a common agenda, bringing together all stakeholders in a common vision and driving real behaviour change. Farm level interventions deliver a secure market for farmers and supply chain transparency, whilst investments in seed, research, industry standards and traceability innovations create the conditions for a healthy and resilient sector.
Join our mission
By 2030, we aim to achieve a transparent, responsible, and resilient organic cotton supply chain that promotes farmer prosperity and advances shared sustainability goals. The way forward is clear, but we cannot do it alone. Realising our vision requires a united sector. Join us in our mission to deliver positive change to farmers, brands, and customers who want to know their purchases are backing a fair and sustainable industry.
