Cotton/Raw Materials

Cotton

Cotton accounts for 40% of the world’s fiber production and generates a $40 billion a year textile market. It is grown in more than 100 countries, with China, India and the U.S. accounting for nearly two-thirds of global output. More than 40 million farmers and 290 million farm workers make a living growing cotton. About 80% of the cotton farms are small, many are family owned. About 70% of the industry is labor intensive, especially outside the U.S. and it typically uses a lot of pesticides and water.

Though we are a big consumer of cotton, we use less than 1% of the world’s annual cotton crop. Trying to promote more sustainable practices in an industry that is so fragmented is a challenge. But, as our track record shows, we’re not afraid of a challenge. By creating alliances with other big cotton consumers, we leverage the power of our brands in support of more sustainably produced cotton which uses less water and fewer pesticides. We’ve joined forces with other brands and retailers, including The Gap, Marks & Spencer, Adidas and IKEA, as well as other groups like WWF, Pesticide Action Network UK, Solidaridad and farmers’ organizations such as the International Federation of Agricultural Producers to form the Better Cotton Initiative

We’ve also teamed up with other stakeholders to take a stand on how cotton is grown in Uzbekistan. We don’t buy cotton directly and do not allow our suppliers to buy Uzbek cotton because of forced child labor practices.

Other Raw Materials

Less than 5% of the raw materials in our supply chain is from sources other than cotton. A small fraction of that percentage is material derived from animals. Levi Strauss & Co. strives to be responsible when sourcing materials from animals, and our goal is to ensure that wherever animals are used in the production of our products, their health and welfare is protected. View our corporate Animal Welfare Policy here.