Sustainability
Bezos Earth Fund Commits US$34 Million to Fund R&D of New Materials for the Fashion and Textiles Industry
The grants will back projects at universities and research groups in the U.S., aiming to reduce the environmental impact of clothing production by developing alternatives to conventional rayon, silk, and cotton.
The funding distribution covers four main initiatives: textile fibers grown from bacteria, plastic-free silk alternative, new cotton varieties, and non-GMO cottonseed.
Textile fibers grown from bacteria
Columbia University, in partnership with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), will receive US$11.5 million to create a textile fiber grown from bacteria fed on agricultural waste. This material is intended to be strong, flexible, and biodegradable, with the potential to reduce microplastic pollution and minimize land use.
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With an $11 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund, Clemson scientists led by Christopher “Chris” Saski, systems geneticist and professor in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, will advance research aimed at creating cotton that performs better, uses fewer resources, and opens new possibilities for growers, manufacturers, and consumers. Collaborators from the University of Georgia are also part of the team. The project builds on Clemson’s advances in cotton transformation and eco-friendly fiber coloring.
New cotton varieties
Clemson University will get US$11 million to engineer new cotton varieties through gene editing and synthetic biology, in collaboration with the University of Georgia. The resulting cotton aims to offer built-in color and resilience while lowering environmental effects compared to current synthetic materials.
Non-GMO cottonseed
In addition, the Cotton Foundation will receive US$1.5 million to restore a wide-ranging, publicly accessible, non-GMO cotton seed bank. This resource will support the ongoing improvement of cotton varieties for farmers and scientists worldwide.
The grants intend to address primary sources of environmental pressure in the apparel industry, such as emissions, water use, and waste from material sourcing and manufacturing processes, which together account for approximately 80% of the sector’s environmental footprint.
Bezos Earth Fund president and CEO Tom Taylor commented: “At the Bezos Earth Fund, we’re constantly looking for groundbreaking new solutions at the intersection of climate, nature, people, and communities to ensure we’re protecting and restoring the world we love. We believe sustainable fashion is part of that mission by making sustainable clothing choices easy, widely available, and ultimately better for the planet and for people.”
The Bezos Earth Fund, established in 2020 with a US$10 billion pledge from Amazon founder and executive chair Jeff Bezos, allocates grants to address climate and nature challenges over the current decade.
In 2025, the Council of Fashion Designers of America Foundation and the Bezos Earth Fund launched “The Next Thread Initiative,” a US$6.25 million partnership to drive sustainable innovation and education across the U.S. fashion industry.
Insights from the Initiative will inform future Earth Fund investments in materials science, manufacturing innovation, and supply chain transformation, while reinforcing CFDA’s leadership in sustainability, education, and creative advancement.