Textile Exchange has published the first installment in a series of seven Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies aimed at improving the robustness and quality of environmental impact data for raw material production across the apparel, fashion and textile industries.
The first study focuses on cotton, addressing critical data gaps and methodology variability through new data across nine key producing countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Pakistan, Peru, Tanzania, Turkey and the United States.
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The study looks at organic, regenerative, recycled and country averages for conventional cotton production systems, which Textile Exchange said provides a clearer picture of the associated environmental impact.
Textile Exchange used a holistic “LCA+” approach with the studies, looking at indicators beyond those covered in traditional LCA methodology to provide insights into other impact areas, such as biodiversity, soil health, animal welfare and social impacts.
“This work is about improving the quality, transparency, and appropriate use of LCA data at the raw material level, where it is urgently needed,” said Beth Jensen, chief impact officer at Textile Exchange. “By closing critical data gaps for priority fibers, we are providing credible, fully documented impact data that supports more accurate modeling and tracking of greenhouse gas emissions and other impacts included in LCA methodology. Additionally, through our LCA+ approach, we are broadening the lens to include areas such as soil health and biodiversity, as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure a holistic view of impact.”
Each of the seven LCA studies cover production stages from cradle to gate. For the cotton study, this includes tracking impacts from the farming stage to the point where lint leaves the cotton gin.
The study identified field emissions as the primary issue across most systems and countries, primarily driven by nitrogen balance linked to synthetic fertilizer usage. Textile Exchange said these finding support its pathways to preferred production systems, which aim to eliminate or reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers in alignment with organic and regenerative production practices. The report identified similar trends in the use of crop protection practices such as pesticide use and the ecotoxicity they can cause.
The LCA+ analysis found that practices using organic and regenerative systems can strengthen long-term soil resilience and reduce impacts on nature. However, Textile Exchange said more site-specific data is needed to fully understand the potential benefits.
The findings demonstrate that the environmental impacts of cotton production vary widely based on local growing condition and practices, making region-specific data essential. The organization said this reinforces the need for targeted data collection partnerships with cotton organizations and on-the-ground stakeholders.
The study also revealed that environmental impacts are not driven by one single factor, but rather how the entire cotton cultivation system is managed with factors such as the use of nitrogen-based fertilizer, water for irrigation and energy all interacting.
“This LCA study shows that cotton’s environmental impact hinges on where it’s grown and how it’s managed in the field,” said Debra Guo, lead for cotton and crops, Textile Exchange. “By identifying the practices that matter most in different regions—and highlighting the importance of knowing the origin and local production context—this study enables brands to make more informed sourcing decisions and target impact reductions where they will be most effective.”
This report comes less than a year after the sustainability trade group published a position paper calling for improved integrity in the use of LCA data. The paper outlined best practices for responsibly using LCA data in the apparel and fashion industry, and Textile Exchange has implemented those protocols in this report.
Textile Exchange said it will conduct additional studies in 2026 and 2027 covering cashmere, leather hide, nylon and polyester, along with wool produced under the organization’s Responsible Wool Standard and mohair produced under its Responsible Mohair Standard. These raw materials and fibers were selected based on total industry volume, current availability of impact data and the quality of existing data sets.
“Ultimately, better data empowers better decisions and helps accelerate the uptake of materials sourced from preferred production systems, while supporting measurable, industry-wide progress,” Jensen said.
