From Central Asia to the Centre of the Global Cotton Conversation

For the smallholder cotton cooperatives of Tajikistan, the buyers, brands, and sustainability experts who shape the global cotton market can feel far away. In early June 2026, that distance closed. Representatives of the cooperatives Biokishovarz and Green Agriculture travelled with Fairtrade NAPP to Istanbul, where the Organic Cotton Summit gathered more than 250 participants from across the cotton value chain. With demand for sustainably and ethically produced cotton growing, and with organic certification often implemented alongside Fairtrade Standards, the summit offered a strategic platform to present Fairtrade cotton from Central Asia to the people who source it, trade it, and advocate for it.

Putting Central Asian Fairtrade Cotton on Buyers’ Radar

Across the summit’s presentations, exhibitions, and networking sessions on 2 and 3 June, the delegation introduced Fairtrade and the work of certified cotton cooperatives to brands, traders, certification bodies, NGOs, academic institutions, and private sector representatives. For cooperatives whose cotton is grown far from the major sourcing hubs, this visibility matters: buyers who know a product exists are the first step towards buyers who purchase it. The awareness created in Istanbul is expected to support greater market access for Fairtrade certified cotton producers in Central Asia over time.

Reading the Market: What Buyers Expect from Sustainable Cotton

The summit’s plenary sessions and panel discussions examined market trends, sustainable cotton production, and responsible sourcing. For the producer representatives, these sessions translated into a clearer picture of what international buyers look for when they source sustainable cotton, from production practices to the way sustainability claims are made and verified. This is knowledge the cooperatives can apply directly when planning production and positioning their cotton in international markets.

Producers Learning from Producers

Some of the most practical insights came a day before the summit opened. On 1 June, a Producers Meeting brought together six producer representatives from the Fairtrade Network of Asia and Pacific Producers: three from India, one from Pakistan, and two from Tajikistan. The exchange gave participants a rare opportunity to compare experiences of Fairtrade implementation across three countries and to discuss common challenges and the solutions each organisation has found. For the Tajik representatives, hearing how organisations in India and Pakistan approach certification, compliance, and marketing offered ideas they can adapt in their own cooperatives.

New Relationships Across the Value Chain

A side meeting organised by Fairtrade International connected the delegation with representatives of brands, certification bodies, traders, and NGOs, while interactions throughout the summit strengthened relationships with potential buyers and partners. These conversations explored possible collaborations to raise the visibility of Fairtrade cotton and to expand market opportunities for certified producers, and Fairtrade NAPP will continue to nurture these relationships in the months ahead.

An Unexpected Opening: Hazelnuts in Türkiye

The mission also planted a seed beyond cotton. It began with a meeting with a hazelnut cooperative in Türkiye to discuss the potential for Fairtrade certification and to explore future cooperation within the Turkish agricultural sector. If these discussions progress, they could extend Fairtrade into a new product and open new sourcing relationships for Fairtrade certified hazelnuts.

In Their Own Words

“The Organic Cotton Summit was an excellent platform to engage with brands, traders, and sustainability experts from around the world. As a cotton producer organization, we gained valuable insights into market trends and established connections that can help create new opportunities for Fairtrade-certified producers and their communities.”

- Firdavs Safiev, Non-Commercial Cooperative Green Agriculture, Tajikistan

The Road from Istanbul

The connections made in Istanbul now move into follow-up. Fairtrade NAPP’s management team will assess the potential for Fairtrade implementation with the hazelnut cooperative in Türkiye, and further engagement is planned to explore the cooperative’s interest and readiness for certification. Opportunities to enter new markets and to connect with potential buyers of Fairtrade certified hazelnuts will also be explored over the coming months.

Turning summit conversations into confirmed partnerships and purchases will take sustained engagement, and that work is only beginning. Fairtrade is a journey rather than a finished destination. For the cotton cooperatives of Central Asia, participation in the Organic Cotton Summit means that journey now continues with new knowledge, new relationships, and a global cotton sector that knows their name.