FibreTrace announces partnership with Target and Cargill

FibreTrace®, a real-time fiber traceability technology, has announced a partnership with Target Corp. and Cargill.

FibreTrace integrates luminescent pigments into raw cotton during the initial stage of processing, creating a unique signature that enables the pigments to be tracked and identified across the supply chain. This data is then securely uploaded to Blockchain and shared through the FibreTrace platform or another digital platform.

Target Corp. will use this technology to trace and identify the origin of fibers to promote accountability in the textile industry. The technology is expected to mark 50,000 metric tons of U.S. and Brazilian raw cotton in the first year, after first marking U.S. cotton in November 2023.

“FibreTrace is thrilled to partner with Target and Cargill to deliver innovation, transparency, and fiber integrity for U.S and Brazilian cotton,” says Mitch Standen, head of the Americas for FibreTrace.

“We hope that this partnership will inspire a ripple effect of change, demonstrating to other companies what is possible,” says Danielle Statham, founder and managing director of FibreTrace. “We encourage the level of traceability this partnership provides to customers for other brands to follow our lead.”

“Achieving full visibility to where the cotton used to produce our products is grown is among the top priorities of our sustainability goals,” says Bill Foudy, senior vice president and president of owned brands at Target. “Our partnership with FibreTrace and Cargill is an important step to improve traceability for the industry and will enableus to accelerate those efforts with our suppliers.”

“Cargill plays a crucial role as the supply chain partner, ensuring FibreTrace is implemented in our process at the gin and then delivering that specific cotton to Target,” says Matt Dunbar, managing director of Cargill Cotton. “We are excited to have the opportunity to build a traceable supply chain that helps Target pinpoint where their cotton is sourced building on the technology provided by FibreTrace.”