Global names of fashion are getting their feet dirty this week as they hear first-hand from growers about the challenges of producing the fibre for their garments.
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Cotton Australia's forum and Camp Cotton farm tour is about bridging the gap between processor and grower while showcasing Australian's sustainability credentials to fashion labels.
"It's important to connect fashion houses with growers to bridge the gap and realise each side of the struggle," said Coleambally cotton grower Joe Briggs, who spoke at the forum.
"By getting on farm these brands are on the forward foot in traceability and telling our progressive story."
Mr Briggs said there was plenty to talk about as the season was shaping up to be phenomenal in the south, with the outlook on track for an average of 12 bales per hectare.
"We have gone from the worst year on record last year, to this year looking like one of the best years in the south," Mr Briggs said.
"We are just about to start, with 10 per cent already picked in the valley with above average yields."
Zoltan Csaki from Citizen Wolf says his company uses Australian cotton for polos along with other fibres to make t-shirts and has plans to make up to 20,000 garments per year 100pc made in Australia and 86pc knitted from a range of fibres.
"We use Aussie cotton because it's the best cotton in the world," Mr Csaki said.
"And with the cotton we use, Good Earth Cotton and Fibre Trace technology it is fully traceable from the farm up and we can be sure, and credibly claim we are 100pc Australian - and that's important when we make uniforms for governments."
"We are gaining traction with government markets particularly in polos and we try hard to keep the whole supply chain onshore where possible.
"From farm to hanger we are Australian because we make everything in Sydney and the fabric is knitted in Melbourne so the only offshore process is the yarn processing which happens in China.
"It's really important to use Australian fibre and product generally so there's a sovereign capability and supply chain resilience."
More than 60 representatives have travelled from New York, London, Milan and Hong Kong where they will visit cotton growers, gins and seed distributors near Narrabri this week as part of a fact-finding mission on behalf of their customers.
Camp Cotton has been made possible through the federal government's Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation program, which aims to increase trade diversification and expansion opportunities to access new markets for Australia's agricultural commodities.
