Haelixa Enhances Organic Cotton Traceability with C&A Partnership
Zürich – Haelixa has partnered with C&A, one of Europe’s leading fashion retailers, to advance the traceability of its organic cotton. The partnership stems from C&A’s commitment to working with others in the apparel industry to pilot and scale innovation. C&A’s targets include supporting the growth of organic cotton without synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, resulting in cleaner waterways, healthier ecosystems, and lower farmer costs.
The partnership between Haelixa and C&A began in 2022 with a pilot project, and since then, they have continuously worked together to trace raw materials. The result is this agreement with Haelixa to mark their organic cotton for the next three years. Using Haelixa’s DNA markers, C&A can trace the journey of its organic cotton from farm to finished garment. According to the C&A Sustainability Report, they are working with other organisations to foster organic cotton farming.
Alexandre Saus-Salas, Head of Sourcing at C&A, commented, “Transparency and ethical sourcing are crucial in our supply chain. As part of our commitment to traceability, we have begun implementing Haelixa DNA within our organic supply chain. This gradual rollout will continue over multiple seasons in 2025, with an impact foreseen over the next three years.”
Haelixa’s solution utilises DNA markers to create a tamper-proof, verifiable traceability that tracks organic cotton throughout the supply chain. The cotton, sourced through CottonConnect, is marked with unique DNA, which acts as a specific identifier. Once applied, the cotton is tested throughout the supply chain to verify the material using forensic PCR tests. Traceability with the fiber-forward approach ensures the final garment materials are authentic.
The marking ensures the authenticity of organic cotton and mitigates the risk of sourcing from regions associated with forced labour. Using the Haelixa markers enables C&A to make reliable statements about the presence of organic cotton in its products marked at the field level (in the ginning process).
Patrick Strumpf, CEO of Haelixa, noted, “Trust is the foundation of transparent storytelling. By tracing organic cotton from farm to finished garment, we empower brands like C&A to tell an authentic story, fostering greater consumer confidence in their sustainability efforts.”
This project is one of the initiatives that C&A has undertaken to enhance accountability through its supply chain. One of the goals listed in their Sustainability Report is enabling customers to make informed choices by increasing transparency around products and the company. The traceability of organic cotton demonstrates that innovation can support business success through customer trust.
This partnership illustrates for Haelixa that successful collaboration demands a long-term commitment to growth. The work on previous pilots has earned the trust of C&A, enabling Haelixa to execute the project at scale with speed and efficiency.
About Haelixa
Haelixa is the Swiss standard in traceability, providing a comprehensive solution that is easy to install for marking and verifying the authenticity of products. Focusing on innovative textile brands and suppliers, Haelixa empowers businesses to ensure traceability across the whole supply chain, thus increasing brand attractivity and customer trust. While enhancing customer trust and elevating brand appeal, Haelixa’s partners simultaneously mitigate compliance risks. Leveraging advanced DNA markers, a distinct and traceable fingerprint is linked to the product from production to retail.
About C&A
With over 1,300 stores in 17 European countries and about 25,000 employees, C&A is one of Europe’s leading fashion retailers. Every day, C&A welcomes millions of visitors to its stores in Europe and to its online shop. C&A offers quality and long-lasting fashion at affordable prices for the many.
Haelixa Enhances Organic Cotton Traceability with C&A Partnership
Haelixa
