Organic cotton production in KPK, Balochistan: WWF signs agreement with three private sector firms

LAHORE: World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Pakistan has entered into an agreement with three private sector firms to work jointly on producing organic cotton in KPK and Balochistan for five years.

WWF-Pakistan, Sapphire Textile Mills Limited (STML), Sapphire Fibers Limited (SFL) and Diamond Fabrics Limited (DFL), Lahore, signed an agreement to work on the organic cotton project in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Lasbela district of Balochistan, Pakistan, here on Monday.

As the largest conservation organisation working for environmental and nature preservation in Pakistan, WWF works to conserve nature, mitigate and control the degradation of the natural environment and build a sustainable future for our people and planet by working with organisations and corporations to focus on sustainable production. Moreover, WWF-Pakistan has collaborated and partnered with textile groups in the past to work on sustainable cotton and organic cotton initiatives.

Speaking on this occasion, Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General, WWF-Pakistan stated: “This is the first step for both organisations to initiate this work as we are looking forward to spearheading into other areas that lead to sustainability and nature conservation”.

According to Nadeem Abdullah, CEO, Sapphire Textile Mills: “Our textile group is one of the largest in the country as we have multiple ongoing projects that lead to sustainability. Our market linkages and suppliers are both present in local and international markets. As the CEO of Sapphire Textile Mill, we are happy to take this step and are looking forward to working on other areas of work with WWF-Pakistan for nature conservation in the country”.

The session concluded with a meaningful discourse between the WWF-Pakistan’s senior management personnel including Dr Masood Arshad, Senior Director Footprint, WWF-Pakistan and Asad Imran, Director Food and Markets, WWF-Pakistan, along with Umer Abdullah, Director Sapphire Textile Mills Limited; Shayan Abdullah, Director Sapphire Fibres Limited; Zulifqar Mehmood, Director Supply Chain, Diamond Fabrics Limited; Mohsin Nishat, Head of Human Resources, Sustainability and Communication, Sapphire Textiles Limited and Muhammad Ali from Sapphire Textile Mills.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022