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BCI – Online Better Cotton bale tracking system

September 2010

The Supply chain for Better Cotton

Better Cotton Initiatives exist to make

global cotton production: • better for the people who produce it • better for the environment it grows in• better for the sector’s future

Production Principles and CriteriaCategories of Farmers

Smallholders Cotton producers who are not structurally dependent on

permanent hired labour and who manage their farm using mainly their own and their family’s labour

Smallholder-employers as smallholder farmers who employ a significant number of

hired workers, either permanently or for a specific task.

Large farm Employer those cotton-farming operations which are structurally dependent

on permanent hired labour

Production Principles and Criteria

Better Cotton is produced by farmers who:

• minimize the harmful impact of crop protection practices (9)

• use water efficiently and care for the availability of water (2)

• care for the health of the soil (3)

• conserve natural habitats (2)

• care for and preserve the quality of the fibre (2)

• promote Decent Work (up to 26)

Supply Chain Component of Better Cotton System • Designed to allow Better Cotton produced from farmers

available to interested retailers

Focus for Implementation of the Supply Chain System:• Increases traceability and transparency by documenting

movement of the cotton from farm to gin, and the creation of 100% Better Cotton Bale

• Provides potential for linking to traceability system throughout the supply chain in order to connect supply to demand

Elements of Supply Chain for Better Cotton

1. Segregation of Better Cotton from field to the bale – to ensure only Better Cotton is in bales described as Better Cotton

2. Weighing of seed cotton and lint cotton – to help inform BCI of the amount of Better Cotton being grown

3. 100 % Better Cotton bales – to provide a marketable commodity

4. A Better Cotton descriptor that allows for the identification of the 100 % Better Cotton bales – either physical (like bale tags) or virtual (via a database), or both

5. Documented chain of custody – from farm to gin

Diagrammatic time line / steps

The implementation of the Better Cotton System

• Several implementing partners in BCI focus regions, who run BCI projects

• Each project – one or more PU, each PU comprises a number of LGs / LE

• Farm assessment is done and the qualification to sell Better Cotton is granted at LG / LF level

Key Stakeholders in the Supply Chain for Better Cotton and their responsibilities

Stakeholder Responsibilities in the BC Supply ChainFarmer/ LG •Recording and reporting the weight of seed cotton

harvested •Complying with segregation requirements

Implementing Partner / Producer Unit

•Identifying ginners that will likely gin the Better Cotton, and advising this to the BCI Regional Coordinator •Managing / overseeing the delivery of segregated Better Cotton to the gin •Implementing a documented chain-of-custody system •Recording the weight of seed cotton harvested and delivered to the gin

Stakeholder Responsibilities in the BC Supply ChainGinner •Storing and ginning the Better Cotton separately

•Ensuring bales of Better Cotton can be identified •Reporting on weight of seed cotton delivered to the gin, and the weight of lint cotton ginned

BCI Regional Coordinator

•Working with IP, gaining the support of ginners to implement the requirements of the Supply Chain for Better Cotton •Advising and working with ginners in implementing the requirements of the Supply Chain for Better Cotton •Reviewing implementation of the Supply Chain for Better Cotton by ginners

Key Stakeholders in the Supply Chain for Better Cotton and their responsibilities

Production to the Bale tracking system

• Tracking system to assure that Better Cotton bales on sale contain only Better Cotton

• Temporary solution for 2010 – more sophisticated system in 2011

• Available to – BCI members– Ginners participating in the supply chain

System setup and technical requirements

• A computer connected to the internet• One of the following internet browsers

installed on this computer:– Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 7.0 or

later versions – Mozilla Firefox 3.x

• A printer

How does the system work?1. When LG / LFE is confirmed as growing Better

Cotton, license to sell specified volume is created in the bale tracking system

2. Ginner enters following information into the system, on receiving this Cotton– Origin of the Seed Cotton (ie, the LG / LFE)– Volume received in kg

3. System verifies the license validity and quantity4. If positive, Quantity is recorded in ginner’s inventory

From seed Cotton to Bales5. For each gin, following information is entered

by BCI in the system, during ginner registration– Processing capacity (bales per day)– Average bale weight (kg)– Gin turn out ratio (seed to lint Cotton)

6. Each gin site should have separate user name7. Ginner declares the number of bales ginned

and pressed 8. Tracking system validates the declaration

Continued…

9. If positive, following actions are initiated:– Each bale is assigned a UBIC– Bales listed in the ginner’s inventory– Corresponding volume is deducted from the

ginner’s seed Cotton inventory

10. One copy of UBIC on the bale and one copy in the bale. UBICs can be preceded by BC

11. BCI members access the bale tracking system to know availability and contacts ginners for buying BC bales

Quality parameters

• Data about following quality parameters to be entered for each bale or lot (not verified by BCI and is not compulsory)– Color grade– Trash content– Length – Strength – Micronaire

Selling and buying / checking UBICs

• On selling, ginners record the sales and system removes the quantity from inventory

• Buyers can check UBICs to retrieve the origin of the bale

In the Better Cotton bale tracking system, you can…

• Announce receipt of seed Cotton • Manage seed Cotton inventory• Announce conversion of seed

Cotton into bales of lint Cotton• Manage bale inventory

To log in, go to http://baletracker.bettercotton.org, and type in your username and password as provided by the BCI

On first login, approve the terms and conditions of use. Tick the box ‘I have read the terms and conditions and I agree’ and click OK to enter

The ginners’ area is composed of two parts: ‘Transactions’ and ‘Inventory’. A red arrow in front of the area indicates the area you are currently in. At any time you can also log out.

Transactions area - Announcing the receipt of seed Cotton • When seed cotton from a LG (or LFE) is

received by the ginner, a ginner needs to:– Obtain the Learning Group (or Large Farm

Employer) ID; and– Weigh the seed cotton received, and only store it

with other Better Cotton (i.e. maintain its segregation from conventional cotton).

– To enter the above information in the Better Cotton bale tracking system click on ‘Announce Received Seed Cotton’. (It may take some time for a pop up window to load)

Announcing the receipt of seed Cotton - Step 1 of 3

Announcing the receipt of seed Cotton - Step 2 of 3

Announcing the receipt of seed Cotton - Step 3 of 3

Managing your seed cotton inventoryClick on ‘Transactions’. The screen shows a list of all your transactions in the Better Cotton bale tracking system. Each entry of seed cotton received is a line item.

Withdrawal window

Converting seed cotton into lint cotton bales

Before ginning and pressing bales (in real life), click on ‘inventory’ and then ‘make bales’.

System shows the maximum bales you can create. You can reduce the number, if wanted

Bale ID and Barcode

The system deducts seed Cotton inventory and adds to bale inventory for number of bales produced

Managing your bales inventory

Announcing sale

Setting quality parameters

Removing bales from entry

In the default view of inventory, the removed bales are not visible

Printing UBICs – click on “Print paper + Bar code” on relevant bale or for all bales from a conversion group

Confirmation window for printing

SUPPORTIf you need any support with using the Better

Cotton bale tracking system, please contact

Palaniswamy Pachagounder

India Regional Coordinator

E: swamy@bettercotton.org T: +91 42 95 26 88 66