Traceability has transformed from a future target to an expectation. In the past, companies were content to source products from a cut-and-sew manufacturer with little to no visibility beyond their direct vendor. However, in recent years, brands and retailers have discovered they require more insight into what is happening upstream.

Drilling down past Tier 1 all the way back to the raw material origin of a product is now a necessity to guard against risks while also being more forthcoming with stakeholders and consumers. This need for visibility is driving investments in tracking technologies and services.

Supima, the promotional organization for U.S.-grown American Pima cotton, recognized the need for more visibility and authentication in the industry, and particularly within its cotton supply chains. In July 2023, Supima introduced the AQRe™ Project, a traceability program underpinned by two innovative technologies: Oritain and TextileGenesis.

More than just a means to compliance and disclosure, the AQRe Project unlocks the potential for more cross-tier collaboration and enables more efficient supply chain management. The traceability program also delivers supply chain intelligence to brands and retailers to make data-driven decisions to assess and navigate changes that impact their suppliers.

Read the whitepaper to learn more about:

• Why hundreds of brands have joined AQRe
• How trade disruptions are shaping companies’ sourcing strategies
• The progress that has been made in transparency, and the remaining hurdles in achieving fully transparent supply chains
• How AQRe can support product disclosures such as digital product passports (DPPs)
• Supima’s plans to deliver more data-centric tools to the industry