Get in touch

Creating traceable and sustainable linen supply chains

Verified linen sourcing from farm to yarn

As demand for linen continues to grow, brands and retailers are placing greater focus on how flax fibres are sourced and processed across their supply chains. Consumers are increasingly seeking materials that are not only high quality, but also produced in ways that support environmental responsibility, transparency, and long-term sustainability.
Yet achieving full visibility across linen production remains complex. From flax cultivation through to scutching and spinning, supply chains often involve multiple stages and regions, making it difficult to verify whether sustainable practices are being consistently applied.
To help address this challenge, CottonConnect partnered with Kingdom Holdings Limited – one of the world’s largest yarn manufacturers – to develop the REEL Linen Code: a comprehensive sustainability framework designed to support more responsible and traceable linen production from farm to yarn.

Key outcomes

  • Development of the REEL Linen Code covering both farming and processing stages

  • Improved traceability from flax seed to linen yarn

  • Alignment with regenerative and sustainable agricultural principles

  • Creation of a framework for brands seeking verified sustainable linen sourcing

The challenge

Although linen is widely recognised as a natural fibre with strong sustainability potential, ensuring consistent environmental and social standards across production can be difficult.

Linen supply chains typically involve several stages, including:

  • Flax cultivation
  • Fibre extraction and scutching
  • Spinning and yarn production

 

Without clear standards and traceability mechanisms, brands often face limited visibility into farming practices, environmental impacts, and working conditions across different stages of production.

At the same time, growing consumer expectations around responsible sourcing are increasing pressure on brands to demonstrate greater transparency and accountability within textile supply chains.

Recognising these challenges, CottonConnect and Kingdom identified the need for a verified sustainability framework specifically designed for linen production.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Our vision is ‘to protect our environment, and to meet the needs of the people’. We are committed to promoting the REEL Linen Code and working closely with stakeholders to drive industry-wide transformation toward more sustainable textile production.”

Weiming Ren, Chairman and Executive Director, Kingdom Holdings Limited

The approach

The REEL Linen Code was developed through collaboration between CottonConnect, Kingdom Holdings Limited, agricultural specialists, development experts, and flax producers across Europe and China. Drawing on practical experience from flax-growing regions in France and existing sustainability frameworks used within the REEL Cotton Programme, the Code establishes good practices across agricultural management, environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and processing standards for scutching and spinning.

The framework also incorporates many regenerative agriculture principles already promoted through CottonConnect’s existing programmes, including:

  • Crop rotation
  • Intercropping
  • Bio-compost and farmyard manure use
  • Homemade bio-pesticides
  • Seed-saving practices
  • Water conservation techniques

 

Compliance with the Code forms the foundation of the REEL Linen Programme, a three-year agricultural initiative designed to support flax farmers through training and implementation of sustainable farming practices.

A core component of the programme is traceability, ensuring flax fibres produced under the REEL Linen Code can be tracked from seed through to yarn production.

 

 

 

 

The introduction of the REEL Linen Code marks an important step toward creating more transparent and resilient linen supply chains.

The impact

Strengthening supply chain traceability

The Code provides brands with greater visibility into how linen fibres are produced and processed, supporting traceability from farm to yarn. This helps strengthen confidence around sourcing practices while improving accountability across the supply chain.

Supporting sustainable farming and processing

By integrating regenerative and responsible production principles into both agricultural and manufacturing stages, the Code encourages more sustainable resource management and environmental practices throughout linen production systems. The framework also promotes continuous improvement across farming communities and processing facilities involved in linen supply chains.

Enabling responsible sourcing for brands

The REEL Linen Code gives brands a practical mechanism for incorporating verified sustainability requirements into linen sourcing strategies. Brands can work directly with CottonConnect to develop sustainable linen programmes and encourage suppliers to align with recognised environmental, social, and traceability standards.

“Having seen the positive impact of the REEL Cotton Code over the last ten years, developing a sustainable code for linen was a logical next step. The REEL Linen Code provides assurance of sustainably produced linen that is traceable from farm to yarn.”

Alison Ward, CEO, CottonConnect

Looking ahead

As expectations around transparency and sustainable sourcing continue to grow, traceable and responsibly produced fibres are becoming increasingly important across the textile industry.

The REEL Linen Code creates a shared framework that connects farmers, processors, manufacturers, and brands around a common set of sustainability principles. By supporting better farming practices, stronger traceability, and improved supply chain accountability, the initiative is helping build a more resilient future for linen production worldwide.