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Sustainable Cotton: Enhancing Production Practices for Environmental Protection

Explore the initiative by WWF Pakistan to promote sustainable cotton production, reduce water usage, minimize pesticides, and address social issues. Learn about the challenges faced by farmers and the role of brands, suppliers, and retailers in adopting better farming practices.

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Sustainable Cotton: Enhancing Production Practices for Environmental Protection

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  1. Sustainable Cotton:Making it cleaner and greener Vijverberg sessie November 12, 2008 The Hague, Netherlands Hammad Naqi Khan Director – Freshwater & Toxics Programme WWF - Pakistan www.panda.org/freshwater

  2. Outline • Introduction • Cotton and Water • Sustainable Cotton Production • Addressing the Challenges • Roles & Responsibilities of Brands, Suppliers and Farmers

  3. What is WWF? • Largest independent environmental NGO • Science & solution based • US$ 500 million annual income • Approx. 5000 staff worldwide • Projects in +/- 100 countries • Approx. 5 million supporters

  4. FORESTS SPECIES FRESHWATER TOXICS OCEANS & COASTS CLIMATE CHANGE GLOBAL 200 ECOREGIONS WWF’s Priorities Global Programs Priority Regions

  5. Our blue planet …… ..… is getting redder

  6. Irrigation accounts for 2/3 of water use worldwide and as much as 90% in many developing countries • About 40% of the world's food is grown in irrigated soils, which make up 18% of global cropland.

  7. Some Agriculture Realities.. • Global food demand will double in 50 years • Increased income (globally 2.4 times by 2050) will lead to increased consumption • Per capita arable land globally is decreasing • Intensification and efficiency will be key • Biofuels compete with food and fiber for land • 3-4% increase per year in cotton demand (2 billion kg/year)

  8. Cotton: a global crop

  9. Produced in 90 countries (approx.) • 80% developing nations • 35 million Ha of land under cotton (2.5% of cropland) • World production & consumption: ~25 MT/ year- 8 countries grow 85% of all cotton- 30-35% of primary production traded internationally yearly • - Finished products go to every country • Vital to the economies and people of many developing countries- e.g. C.Asia, West Africa, Pakistan Cotton: a global crop

  10. Cotton and development • More than 90% of cotton farmers live in developing countries • Vast majority are poor, small-holders (<2ha) • Cotton is often only cash crop • Cotton is often only source of credit • Poverty, debt and crisis are only one crop failure away for farmers

  11. ISSUES • Water • Pesticides • Social issues • GMO

  12. Cotton growth to productionWater Losses • First / agricultural stage: Cotton production at field level • evaporation of infiltrated rainwater for cotton growth (green water use), • withdrawal of ground or surface water for irrigation (blue water use), • water pollution due to the leaching & run off of fertilizers and pesticides • Second / industrial stage : Processing of seed cotton into final cotton products • Abstraction of process water from surface or ground water, • Pollution of water as a result of the waste flows from cotton processing industries

  13. Global Water Use in Cotton Production UNESCO-IHE (Institute for Water Education), Water Footprint of Cotton Consumption. From Tables 3.4 and 3.5. 2005

  14. Area and Textile Growth in Pakistan

  15. Pakistan Cotton Project & its linkages with Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)

  16. Methodology • Research • BMPs collated and tested • Access to financing options / micro credit • Gap analysis of the Policy framework

  17. 2. Farm level implementation • TOF and FTOF: Training of facilitators and Farmers Training of Facilitators • FFS( Farmer Field School): A process of discovery based learning/teaching with participatory approach • FO (Farmer Organization) Capacity building of existing and/ or new FOs for the adoption and promotion of BMPs to educate the farming communities

  18. 3. Foundation for an enabling environment • National Agricultural related policy review • Influencing private sector support • Links with International initiatives to define ‘Better’ Standards

  19. Farmer training: 400+ Farmer Field Schools established In cotton growing areas…

  20. .…and 10000 farmers trained

  21. Pakistan Sustainable Cotton Initiative Better farming practices for cotton • 30% reduction in fertiliser use 23% reduction in irrigation water 60% reduction in pesticides

  22. FTOF Gross margins have increased • Five photos

  23. Health has improved from reduced pesticides and increased awareness “Before we understood the impact of pesticides we thought our children got sick for superstitious reasons – like we had done something wrong. Now we know if it is a pesticide problem and take our children to the doctor”

  24. Private sector support • More than 240,000 kg of “better” cotton was purchased by a local miller in 2006 • IKEA is supporting the development of better practices in cotton production • The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is testing their sustainability standards with WWF in Pakistan

  25. Better Irrigation Practices Bed and Furrow Irrigation Laser Land Leveler Right: Alternate Row Irrigation

  26. Water Saving due to Better Irrigation Practices • Bed and furrow technique: 27-33% • Laser leveller: 33-37% • Alternate row irrigation: 22-31% • Water scouting: 16-24%

  27. The Way Forward……

  28. Brands/Retailers • Three main drivers: • supply chain security, • reputation risk and • consumer markets • Brands/Retailers should/can • build integrated supply chains • promote an industry standard for sustainable cotton by supporting BCI • exert pressure on suppliers by actively demanding better cotton • provide easily accessible product information to consumers. • support projects which assist farmers in making the shift to sustainable seed cotton production http://www.fao.org/prods/GAP/DOCS/DOC/BusinessCase_RdeMan_English.doc

  29. Suppliers • Ensure that environmental concerns are playing an increasing role in supply chain management. • Should understand that cotton grown through BMPs is more profitable for the farmers through direct contact with farmers and Ginners (no third party involvement). • Institutional support to promote sustainable cotton production and development of Better/sustainable cotton standards. • Implementation of BMPs in their farms. • Influence and promote BMPs in their sourcing area.

  30. What can Farmers do? • Organize themselves & participate in community run programs • Be innovative, do experimentation, informed decision-making • Switch from conventional to sustainable better cotton practices • Build networks with research organizations and any local organizations that work towards sustainable farm practices

  31. Thank you! freshwater

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