Objectives of the service
Fashion brands face increasing pressure to demonstrate where raw materials originate and understand their environmental impact, yet supply-chain information remains fragmented and often relies on manual processes, proxy data and self-declared supplier information.
CottonConscience was developed to address this gap by connecting cotton provenance and environmental information with product-level decision-making. The service combined Satellite Earth Observation (SatEO), DNA-based fibre verification and supply-chain information to generate farm-level insights linked to finished products.
Two core services were developed. Farm Trace used SatEO-based crop identification alongside the development of field-level DNA tagging to strengthen verification of cotton origin. Water Trace provided quantified insight into water use and associated environmental risk. The project was subsequently extended to assess Water Quality intelligence across agricultural and textile-processing stages of the supply chain.
These capabilities were integrated within ASK MIRANDA®, providing a practical route for traceability and environmental information to support operational decisions, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) insights, risk assessment and compliance requirements.
Users and their needs
The project engaged organisations across the fashion and textile supply chain, including fashion brands, certification bodies, technology providers, manufacturers and supply-chain partners. Primary users included buying, sourcing and ESG teams requiring more reliable environmental and traceability information for product-level decisions.
Key user needs included reliable information linking cotton to its source; farm-level environmental information rather than reliance on generic or proxy data; improved visibility of water use and environmental risk; and information capable of supporting sourcing, risk assessment, ESG and compliance requirements.
Users also identified the need to reduce fragmented and manual data processes and improve interoperability between systems. Structured information suitable for emerging requirements such as Digital Product Passports was an important consideration.
The project primarily addressed fashion businesses in the UK and Europe, alongside supply-chain and field-level partners in cotton-producing regions including India.
Stakeholder engagement and the clickable ASK MIRANDA®, demonstrator enabled workflows and outputs to be tested with prospective users, confirming strong interest in accessible, evidence-based information integrated into commercial decision-making.
Service/ system concept
CottonConscience transformed satellite, field and supply-chain data into traceability and environmental information that could be linked to individual products.
Farm Trace used Satellite Earth Observation to identify cotton-growing areas and assess crop characteristics. DNA tagging was developed as an additional physical verification layer designed to strengthen the connection between cotton at field level and material moving through the supply chain.
Water Trace used satellite-derived indicators and regional data to provide quantified insight into water use and associated environmental risk.
The Water Quality extension assessed satellite imagery alongside hydrological and water-quality datasets, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning techniques and ground-based measurements to identify potential environmental anomalies across agricultural and textile-processing stages.
Satellite and field data were processed through geospatial and analytical workflows and integrated within
ASK MIRANDA®. The platform presented resulting information as structured traceability, environmental and compliance-related outputs.
This connected complex environmental evidence with finished products and made the information accessible within operational and commercial decision-making workflows.
Space Added Value
Satellite Earth Observation was the principal space asset used within CottonConscience.
SatEO provided an independent and scalable means of observing cotton-growing areas and environmental conditions across geographically dispersed supply chains. During the Feasibility Study, satellite analysis demonstrated the ability to identify and differentiate crop types, including cotton and wheat, and assess vegetation health across seasonal datasets. Integration of in-situ field data within the geographic information system supported validation of the analytical approach.
Within Farm Trace and Water Trace, SatEO enabled environmental information to be associated with known agricultural locations and combined with field, regional and supply-chain data. This provided an additional evidence layer beyond approaches dependent primarily on supplier declarations, proxy information or manual records.
The Water Quality extension also assessed SatEO as part of a wider environmental evidence framework, combining satellite observations with hydrological context, field measurements and other water-quality evidence.
The principal space-added value was independent; repeatable and scalable environmental observation connected to traceable cotton sources and product-level decisions.
Current Status
The CottonConscience Feasibility Study was successfully completed in September 2026.
SatEO analysis demonstrated the ability to identify and differentiate crop types and generate meaningful farm-level environmental insights. Farm Trace and Water Trace were developed, field-level DNA tagging protocols were advanced, and these capabilities were integrated into a clickable ASK MIRANDA demonstrator.
The additional Water Quality study assessed satellite imagery alongside hydrological and water-quality datasets, AI/ML techniques and ground-based measurements, establishing a framework for combining SatEO with supporting environmental evidence.
Engagement with brands, certification bodies, technology providers, manufacturers and supply-chain organisations confirmed clear applications across buying, sourcing, ESG and compliance workflows.
The study met its primary feasibility objectives and concluded that CottonConscience was suitable to progress to a Demonstration/Pilot phase for live supply-chain and operational validation.
Prime Contractor(s)
