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The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is moving its farm-level assurance from a licensing model to third-party certification. Below are the most common questions we hear from farms, mills, and brands preparing for BCI certification in 2026 — each answer is grounded in the current BCI normative documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)?
A: The Better Cotton Initiative is a global non-profit organisation whose Standard System aims to improve livelihoods and economic development in cotton-producing areas and reduce the environmental impact of cotton production. BCI is headquartered at 7–9 Chemin de Balexert, 1219 Châtelaine, Switzerland, and its official website is bettercotton.org. The assurance model balances credibility with scalability and cost-effectiveness by combining third-party certification with first- and second-party monitoring, and it puts strong emphasis on capacity strengthening and continuous improvement.
Q: What is "Better Cotton"?
A: "Better Cotton" (BCI Cotton) is cotton produced by Producers — Smallholder, Medium, or Large Farms — who meet the Indicators of the BCI Principles and Criteria. A Producer may only trade BCI Cotton if it holds valid certification (or a valid license, until 2028) to the BCI Principles & Criteria and the related volumes have been released by BCI into its platform. It is the production standard, not a separate fibre type.
Q: What are the BCI Principles and Criteria?
A: The Principles and Criteria (P&C) is the core farm-level standard. The current version, P&C v3.2, was approved by the BCI Council in December 2025 and is effective as of 1 April 2026 (next review expected in 2028). It is organised around six Principles:
Principle 1 — Management: effective, inclusive producer-level management, data management, continuous improvement, capacity strengthening, women's equal participation, collaborative action, and climate action.
Principle 2 — Natural Resources: improved soil health, optimised water quality and availability, conservation and enhancement of biodiversity and natural habitats, and protection of natural ecosystems and High Conservation Value areas.
Principle 3 — Crop Protection: integrated pest management, registered and correctly labelled pesticides, active phase-out of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs), mitigation of HHP hazards, and responsible pesticide handling and storage.
Principle 4 — Fibre Quality: protection and enhancement of fibre quality.
Principle 5 — Decent Work: ten criteria covering labour-rights systems, no child labour, no forced labour, freedom of association and collective bargaining, no discrimination, at least minimum wage, health and safety, a fair workplace free of violence or harassment, and clear work agreements.
Principle 6 — Sustainable Livelihoods: measures to improve sustainable livelihoods and resilience.
Gender Equality and Climate Change are treated as cross-cutting priorities across all Principles.
Q: Who can get BCI certification?
A: At farm level, certification applies to Producers, categorised by land size and labour dependence:
Smallholders: farmers not structurally dependent on permanent hired labour, with up to 20 ha of cotton.
Medium Farms: farmers structurally dependent on permanent hired labour, with 20–200 ha of cotton.
Large Farms: farms above 200 ha of cotton that are mechanised or structurally dependent on permanent hired labour.
Smallholders and Medium Farms are organised into Producer Units (up to 7,000 farmers per unit; recommended ~3,500) and are certified at the Producer Unit level. Large Farms are certified per farm, or through the Large Farm Group model (eligible only for farms with under 30 workers and a mechanised harvest, overseen by a Group Manager). Supply-chain organisations can certify to the BCI Chain of Custody Standard — brands that wish to make product-level claims must be certified, while organisations operating as retailers only are not required to certify.
Q: What is the difference between a BCI license and BCI certification?
A: BCI is transitioning from a licensing model to a third-party certification model. During 2025, 2026 and 2027, a Producer holding either a valid BCI license or valid certification to the BCI Principles & Criteria may trade BCI Cotton; existing licenses remain valid until 2028. From 1 April 2026, producers going through their first audit use the certification model set out in the P&C Monitoring and Certification Requirements v1.3, with certification granted by a BCI-approved Certification Body. Licensees transition to certification at the latest when their license expires.
Q: What is the BCI Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard?
A: The Chain of Custody Standard v1.2 (effective 6 January 2026) tracks BCI Cotton through the supply chain so claims can be made with confidence. It defines four CoC models:
Segregation (Single Country): Physical BCI Cotton from a single country kept physically separate from all other cotton sources.
Segregation (Multi-Country): physical separation that allows mixing only of Physical BCI Cotton across different origins.
Mass Balance: BCI and non-BCI material may be mixed, with volumes reconciled so sold BCI volumes never exceed purchased BCI volumes.
Controlled Blending: a blending model for specific supply-chain stages.
All BCI Cotton transactions must be recorded on the Better Cotton Platform (BCP).
Q: What are the key steps to get BCI certified?
A: The P&C Monitoring and Certification Requirements set out an 11-step process per Producer:
Register to the programme (Producer Units at the start of the previous season; Large Farms in advance of the season).
Set-up year — Producer Units complete a set-up season, including a Readiness Check, before their certification audit.
Application and contracting with a BCI-approved Certification Body.
Initial audit, between end of sowing and end of harvest.
Seasonal data submissions (Results Indicator Reporting) at specified times.
Decision and document upload in INTACT, within 14 days of CAP submission (an extra 14 days if BCI selects the report for review).
Volumes issued on the BCI Cotton volume release date for the region.
Corrective action — a CAP within 30 days of receiving non-conformities, implemented within 6–11 months.
Audit report finalised within 14 days of receiving the corrective action plan.
Certificate issue once corrections are implemented (or at initial decision if no non-conformities).
Ongoing monitoring throughout the certification period.
Q: What is INTACT, and what is the Better Cotton Platform (BCP)?
A: These are two distinct BCI systems. INTACT is BCI's certification platform: Certification Bodies record their audit decisions and upload required certification documents there. The Better Cotton Platform (BCP) is a centralised digital tracking system owned by BCI and used by manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and brands to record BCI Cotton sourcing volumes and make claims; use of the BCP is mandatory for all BCI Cotton transactions, whether Physical or Mass Balance.
Q: How long is BCI certification valid, and what about surveillance and renewal?
A: BCI certification is maintained through continuous monitoring rather than a single fixed expiry. All Producers complete an annual self-assessment (Producer Units submit 4 weeks after end of harvest; Large Farms submit part 1 at end of sowing and part 2 four weeks after harvest). Certified Producer Units receive a Support Visit in their second or third year, and surveillance audits may be triggered by risk or complaints. For the Large Farm Group model, the certificate is valid for 3 years from issue, with a full onsite renewal audit required after 3 years. Trading eligibility depends on keeping a valid self-assessment and no outstanding non-conformities.
Q: How much does BCI certification cost, and how long does it take?
A: BCI does not publish a single fee. Producers (or their Strategic Partners) who pay for certification may request quotations from any Certification Body approved by BCI for Producer certification; in some regions BCI covers the certification costs. Timelines depend on farm type and season — the initial audit sits between end of sowing and end of harvest, and the Certification Body decision follows within 14 days of the corrective action plan submission. We recommend budgeting for a set-up season plus one certification season, and confirm scope and fees directly with your chosen Certification Body.
Need help scoping your BCI certification or Chain of Custody application? Our team supports farms, Producer Units, and supply-chain organisations end to end. Contact us for expert guidance.
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