GENEVA — July 29, 2026 — The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Uzbek Agency for Technical Regulation (Uzstandard Agency) to help strengthen agricultural standards in the country.
Photo — Better Cotton Initiative/Jiddo Stout. Location: Geneva, Switzerland, 2026.
A government body, the agency is responsible for regulations and quality controls on domestically produced and imported goods in Uzbekistan. BCI will lend its expertise to help inform and improve national initiatives and policy for the cotton sector.
Katerina Gorbunova, Head of BCI’s Uzbekistan programme, said: “As a leading sustainability standards system and certification scheme working with farming communities around the world, BCI is uniquely positioned to support the agency in its mission. We are excited to share our knowledge and experience and learn from the organisation to collaboratively strengthen Uzbekistan’s infrastructure.”
BCI and the Uzstandard Agency have entered the agreement to support national technical working group discussions, exchange methodologies surrounding field-level best practice and certification, and integrate BCI’s Principles & Criteria (P&C) into relevant national standards.
The two organisations will also explore the possibility of establishing a nationally-owned cotton sustainability standard that could then be benchmarked against BCI’s own. This would enable the agency and its collaborators to directly support more sustainable cotton production, while ensuring it aligns with the globally-recognised BCI standard.
Akmal Jumanazarov, Director General of the Uzstandard Agency, said: “Uzbekistan is undertaking one of the most comprehensive reforms of its national quality infrastructure, with the harmonisation of standards and the adoption of international best practices serving as key priorities of our modernisation agenda. The cotton and textile industries are strategic pillars of our national economy, contributing significantly to employment, industrial development, and export growth.”
“Our cooperation with the Better Cotton Initiative represents an important step towards integrating internationally-recognised sustainability and social standards into Uzbekistan’s standardisation system. Beyond improving product quality and environmental performance, this partnership will support the promotion of decent work, responsible agricultural practices, and greater transparency throughout the cotton value chain – principles that are increasingly valued by international markets,” he added.
Posted: August 1, 2026
Source: The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)