WHY BETTER COTTON?
The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) exists in order to respond to the current impacts of cotton production worldwide. The BCI aims to make global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in and better for the sector’s future.
Cotton is one of the most important and widely grown crops in the world. It is estimated that nearly 35 million hectares are under cotton cultivation, representing about 2.5% of the world’s arable land. About 80 countries produce cotton on a commercial scale and more than 90% of cotton farmers live in developing countries on farms of less than 2 hectares. Nearly everywhere it is grown cotton represents an important cash crop for farmers and an economically valuable part of the total national economy. Cotton is for millions of people, in some of the world’s poorest countries, a vital and unique link to the global economy. The International Cotton Advisory Committee estimates that there are about 300 million people who work in the wider cotton industry each year.
There are various negative social and environmental impacts associated with cotton cultivation worldwide that undermine its sustainability. Attention is needed at the farm level where serious impacts on people and the environment can occur. Inefficient irrigation techniques, poor cultivation practices, and improper use of pesticides and fertilizers threaten the availability of clean water, soil fertility, human health and biodiversity. As well as the health and safety impacts related to pesticide use, socio-economic impacts have been reported to include arduous working conditions (particularly for women workers), child labour and forms of forced or bonded labour, as well as indebtedness due to high input prices, crop failure, delayed payment and/or unaffordable rates of interest.
Achieving improvements in the social and environmental conditions of cotton production is essential for human and environmental health, the livelihood of millions of people world-wide, and the future of the commodity. The negative effects of using agricultural soils and water resources for cotton production need to be significantly reduced, and production methods need to respect the principles of long-term sustainability. From a social point of view, farmers and workers need to be able to earn their living from growing cotton, without having to take unacceptable risks.
To respond to the impacts of cotton cultivation the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has been established. BCI aims to promote measurable improvements in the key environmental and social impacts of cotton cultivation worldwide to make it more economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable. BCI is working with organisations from across the cotton supply chain and interested stakeholders to facilitate a solution for the mainstream cotton sector. The BCI's philosophy is to develop a market for a new mainstream commodity: ‘Better Cotton’ and thereby transform the cotton commodity to bring long-term benefits for the environment, farmers and other people dependent on cotton for their livelihood.
last update: 5 Oct. 09 |
