Achieving a significant milestone, Pakistani denim producer Soorty's Organic Cotton Initiative (SOCI) has become the first private-sector textile manufacturer initiative in Pakistan to be recognized by the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA). This recognition highlights Soorty's commitment to sustainable cotton production.
Through a partnership with the OCA's Seed Commercialization Initiative, SOCI is tackling the long-standing issue of access to safe, non-GMO cotton seeds and enhancing the traceability of sustainable cotton within Pakistan. This collaboration allows SOCI to provide farmers with a reliable supply of superior, non-GMO seeds, marking a crucial advancement in organic cotton cultivation.
Emphasizing on the company’s progress Dr Yousaf, Head -Agriculture Ventures and Traceability, Soorty highlights their adoption of digitalization, which includes modern farmer advisory tools, digital bale passports for traceability, and a dedicated seed laboratory. The company’s new ROC project empowers farmers, enhances transparency, and shapes a more responsible agricultural future, he notes.
Soorty's broader sustainability strategy encompasses regenerative and organic farming, advancements in recycling, robust traceability efforts, and ethical manufacturing practices. The company integrates responsible sourcing, innovation, social impact, and digital transparency to demonstrate a more environmentally and socially conscious approach to denim production.
Central to Soorty's efforts are SOCI and the Soorty Regenagri Initiative (SRI), which provide non-GMO, ethically produced cotton while also focusing on soil rejuvenation. These initiatives offer farmers financial stability, education, ongoing support, traceability solutions, and fair market access.
Furthering its commitment to circularity, Soorty's Second Life brand converts post-consumer and post-industrial waste into new, traceable denim products. The company is also pursuing Regenerative Organic certification by year-end to complement its existing organic programs focused on soil health and biodiversity.
To enhance supply chain transparency, Soorty is introducing QR-coded cotton bales by the end of the year, allowing brand partners and consumers to verify the cotton's origin. The newly established Soorty Seed Integrity Lab further supports quality assurance through rigorous testing.
Soorty has also partnered with digital agriculture platform SAWIE to empower farmers with data analytics and AI, formalizing the agreement on January 22. Dr Khalid Mahmood, CEO, SAWIE highlights their joint effort to ensure full farm-to-fashion transparency rooted in sustainability, aiming to reduce cotton's ecological footprint and improve farmer incomes.
Soorty is also actively working to strengthen women’s roles in farming communities and digitize
financial transactions to improve transparency and efficiency for all stakeholders. In August 2024, Soorty Enterprises announced its ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validating its near-term reduction targets.
