Bestseller, the Danish fashion company that owns Jack & Jones, Only, Vero Moda and more, announced its support for a regenerative agriculture program in South Africa.
The company is contributing $3 million to the Regenerative Fund for Nature, a global fund that supports agricultural projects with a focus on nature conservation, regenerative farming methods and long-term impact. The fund organized by Conservation International, a global NGO that works with nature conservation in collaboration with local communities, scientists, companies and authorities.
The funds will go to an ongoing project in the Eastern Cape to regenerate natural areas and strengthen living conditions. South Africa’s Eastern Cape is an area of great biodiversity and importance for water resources in the region. Local pastors and farming communities are working with the Regenerative Fund for Nature and Conservation International to improve grasslands, animal welfare and soil resilience to erosion and climate change.
“The contribution reflects our aim to support the raw material landscapes that are important both for nature, for the people who live off them and for our industry. We know that the road ahead is long,” said Dorte Rye Olsen, Bestseller head of sustainability. “Through the Regenerative Fund for Nature, we participate in a long-term collaboration, where initiatives are developed over time and in close interaction with local actors.”
The Regenerative Fund for Nature was established in 2021 with Kering. In 2023, Inditex joined as a partner. Over the past five years, Conservation International’s work in the Eastern Cape has shown measurable benefits for the shepherds and their land.
Virginia Keesee, who leads Conservation International’s global fashion and nature initiatives, said Bestseller’s support will help the organization spread the impact across the region.
Bestseller emphasized that the protection and restoration of nature align with the long-term stability of the raw materials on which the textile industry depends. At the same time, the company said the “impact on biodiversity is complex, and initiatives are therefore developed with a focus on cooperation, local anchoring and continuous learning rather than uniform solutions that are adapted to the local context.”
The work with the Regenerative Fund for Nature is one of several examples of how the company works with nature and biodiversity as an integrated part of their sustainability strategy Fashion FWD, and their broader efforts in the value chain.
Bestseller also partners with The Microfibre Consortium to reach zero impact from fiber fragmentation from textiles to the natural environment and Fashion for Good to scale hemp in denim. The company has introduced sustainability incentives to encourage employees to prioritize sustainability goals.
