BCI Online Better Cotton bale tracking system

September 2010

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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 sectors future

Production Principles and Criteria

Categories 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 familys 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. 2. 3. 4. Segregation of Better Cotton from field to the bale to
ensure only Better Cotton is in bales described as Better Cotton

Weighing of seed cotton and lint cotton to help inform BCI of

the amount of Better Cotton being grown

100 % Better Cotton bales to provide a marketable commodity 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
Farmer/ LG

Responsibilities in the BC Supply Chain

Recording and reporting the weight of seed cotton harvested Complying with segregation requirements 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

Implementing Partner / Producer Unit

Key Stakeholders in the Supply Chain for Better Cotton and their responsibilities
Stakeholder Responsibilities in the BC Supply Chain
Ginner 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 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

BCI Regional Coordinator

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 quantity 4. If positive, Quantity is recorded in ginners inventory

From seed Cotton to Bales

5. 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 name 7. 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 ginners inventory Corresponding volume is deducted from the ginners 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 inventory Click 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

SUPPORT
If 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