BASF hosts top fashion brands for its e3 sustainable cotton Farm to Fashion tour

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, OCTOBER 7, 2019 – BASF recently brought together more than 40 North American clothing brands, retailers and industry leaders from the cotton, denim and textile industries for its e3® sustainable cotton Farm to Fashion tour.

 

Attendees were able to meet, ask questions and tour the farm of Mead and Marshall Hardwick, of Hardwick Planting Co. They also had the opportunity to tour Tensas Co-op Gin, a cotton warehouse, and wrapped up the event at Vidalia Mills in Vidalia, Louisiana.

 

“We’re honored to gather these brands and industry leaders for the rare opportunity to learn and see firsthand how cotton gets from the farmer to the gin to the mill — all the way to the retail shelves,” said Monty Christian, BASF Global Head of Cotton Seed and Traits. “For consumers, knowing where cotton comes from and how it’s grown is increasingly important. It’s a story we value, and it’s one we can help share.”

 

Through BASF’s e3 sustainable cotton program, cotton growers sign up and commit to grow FiberMax® and/or Stoneville® cotton more efficiently and to decrease the impact to the environment. Through a certification database maintained exclusively by BASF, the company is able to trace cotton from the field where it’s grown all the way to the retail store shelf, providing three key benefits for mills and brands: Cotton that is socially equitable, economically viable and environmentally responsible.

 

Vidalia Mills will begin operating this month and is the first new textile mill to open in the U.S. in more than 90 years making selvedge denim. Vidalia Mills has partnered with BASF to exclusively use e3 cotton to honor its commitment to transparency and environmental suitability in its operations. The mill also recently announced its acquisition of all 46 Draper X3 selvedge looms from the former Cone Mills White Oak plant in Greensboro, bringing selvedge denim production back to the U.S.

 

“Vidalia’s goal is to celebrate the best of traditional small-batch denim with artisanal manufacturing combined with 21st century environmental best practices,” said Dan Feibus, Vidalia Mills CEO. “Vidalia’s mission is to be an elite global producer of special yarns and denim; to do that we need cotton grown to the most demanding standard — that’s why we’re only using e3 cotton.”

 

For the 2019–2020 season, growers who purchase FiberMax or Stoneville cotton seed will be eligible to enroll in the e3 program. To learn more, visit e3cotton.us or talk with your local BASF representative.

BASF presents the first bale of cotton harvested in the U.S. in 2019 to Vidalia Mills. From L–R: Fernando Arguelles, Vidalia Mills; Joseph Parker, Vidalia Mills; Dale Jinjoe, Vidalia Mills; Eric Goldstein, Vidalia Mills; Robert Antoshak, Olah Inc. Managing Director; Nick Douangmavongsa, Vidalia Mills; Dan Feibus, Vidalia Mills CEO; Jennifer Crumpler, BASF Seed Advisor and Head of the e3 sustainable cotton program; Bill Boos, Vidalia Mills; Gokmen Kilic, Vidalia Mills; Justin Lillard, Vidalia Mills; Derrick Means, Vidalia Mills; Monty Christian, BASF Global Head of Cotton Seed and Traits; Butch Roecker, BASF Seed Advisor; James Harp, BASF Seed Advisor.
Mead Hardwick of Hardwick Planting Co. shares with the group the history and sustainable practices he and his family take to ensure quality cotton from seed to gin.
Attendees tour the Tensas Co-op Gin to learn how cotton gets from the field to the mill.
Fashion and cotton industry leaders hear from Bobby Skeen, Executive Vice President of the Louisiana Cotton & Grain Association, on how he represents the cotton growers of Louisiana in Congress.
Mead Hardwick explains the relationship his farm has with the Tensas Co-op Gin, and how cotton growers market their cotton
Jennifer Crumpler, BASF Seed Advisor and Head of the e3 sustainable cotton program explains the value of sustainably-grown, 100% traceable e3 cotton to clothing brands and retailers.
Brands and retailers excitedly look at Vidalia’s vintage White Oak Draper looms that will exclusively use e3 cotton.

Always read and follow label directions. FiberMax and Stoneville are registered trademarks of BASF. © 2019 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved.

 

About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division

 

With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture and healthy environments. Working with farmers, agricultural professionals, pest management experts and others, it is our role to help make this possible. That’s why we invest in a strong R&D pipeline and broad portfolio, including seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming. With expert teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we connect innovative thinking and down-to-earth action to create real world ideas that work — for farmers, society and the planet. In 2018, our division generated sales of €6.2 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.

 

About BASF

 

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 18,200 employees in North America and had sales of $17.9 billion in 2017. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.com.

 

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The more than 115,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of more than €60 billion in 2017. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.