ANNUAL REPORT 2021
COTTON: A CASE STUDY IN MISINFORMATION
A report on building critical data consumption in fashion.
Fashion has a serious and growing misinformation problem. Inaccurate and outdated figures are widely shared, as is data without any context.
We believe that misinformation is a key reason why we aren’t moving towards positive change. It is crucial for industries and society to understand the best available data and context on the environmental, social and economic impact of different fibers and systems within fashion, so that best practices can be developed and implemented, industries can make informed choices, and farmers and other suppliers and makers can be rewarded for and incentivized to operate using more responsible practices that drive more positive impacts.
By using credible information, and learning to use information more responsibly, we can hopefully begin to move past mistrust towards actual improvements.
The Intent of the Report
We aim to tackle fashion misinformation both by teaching the skills to use information critically (and explain why it matters) by:
Train readers to become critical consumers of data and information, using cotton’s water and pesticide use as a case study.
Debunk and pre-bunk the most common myths about the cotton industry, showing how to vet claims and data and confront misinformation whenever you encounter it.
Gather and share publicly the best available sound data and context on cotton to use in place of misinformation.
Foster the cotton industry’s consensus around the data contained in the report, so that it’s trusted and usable for the industry and the wider public.
Our Calls to Action:
We call on key cotton trade organisations and non-profits to endorse our findings, so there is a go-to place for data from which we can all build on.
We encourage people to send in information and new data to us. You can submit it at this link.
There is an urgent need for data transparency about cotton and fashion’s environmental impact. Data about environmental impacts should be open-source and publicly available. If you are putting data into the public sphere, be transparent in your methodology. Share how you arrived at your conclusions.
Let’s co-invest in filling the data gaps. Data collection is expensive, especially in an industry with as many producers as cotton. The industry needs to come together with researchers, scientific institutions, foundations and governments to get better data in more places. Policymakers need to invest in good scientists and research centers to fill the data gaps.
Seek guidance from technical experts and openly accept their feedback.
There is a need for an industry cotton and fashion fact-checker, an unbiased third party group to analyze claims.
ENDORSEMENTS
This report is endorsed by:
Encouragements
Cotton Incorporated, National Cotton Council, and the American Cotton Shippers Association collectively encourage the Transformers Foundation’s work debunking cotton sustainability myths with accurate information and science.
“The Transformer Foundation report “Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation” is a credible source of cotton sustainability information written in an accessible language, appropriate for many audiences.”
Other encouragements include:
our learning sessionS
Debunking Myths, Fact-checking and How To Use Data Responsibly
13th October 2021
Panelists include: Allison Deger, Fact Checker, Elizabeth L. Cline, journalist, Terry Townsend, former Executive Director of ICAC, moderated by Marzia Lanfranchi, Intelligence Director of Transformers Foundation, and Founder of Cotton Diaries.
Credible Data vs. Misinformation: A Lesson In Responsible Data Use And Fact Checking
28th February 2022
Panelists include: Allison Deger, Independent Fact-Checker; Elizabeth L. Cline, Journalist, author and Director of Advocacy and Policy at Remake; Marzia Lanfranchi, Intelligence Director, Transformers Foundation, Founder of Cotton Diaries; Simon Ferrigno, Journalist and Researcher
Anti-Greenwashing Legislations, Responsible Marketing and Citizenship
18th October 2021
Panelists include Cecilia Parker Aranha, Consumer Protection at the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, Matthieu Jahnic, responsible marketing expert, Hilary Jochmans, Politically In Fashion, Lavinia Muth, CSR Armed Angels.
We need your help.
Spread the word: let’s unleash the power of our combined network, and share the release of this report with your audiences.
Take the time to read the report and our calls to action to understand what you and your network can do.
Share your feedback and ideas for targeted outreach with the solutions enablers identified in the report. Connect with us hello@transformersfoundation.org. We are working hard with our experts and partners network to enact on our commitments outlined in the report, our doors and ears are open to relevant ideas and feedback that drive coordinated action.
“Transparency and traceability prove authenticity. We envision a future where farmers tabulate the amount of pesticides they use, the amount of water they use, all of the different inputs to compare this with their yield and continue retrieving the stream of data to a product’s end of life. We have been eager to launch this report to provide readers with tools to enable data transparency that will ultimately inform best practice and viable solutions for the health of the planet, the people, and our industry.”