Agriculture

A study by Fairtrade India in six of the top cotton-producing states claims that its certified organic cotton is associated with better environmental outcomes than non-Fairtrade cotton.

Smallholder cotton farmers are particularly vulnerable to climate change, and the lack of proper knowledge and understanding how crop insurance works during a climate crisis is putting them in peril, a new study conducted in two Indian states has found.

The cotton misinformation problem needs to be seen in the light of today’s society where fake news thrives and wreaks havoc. It’s not difficult to find out how the cotton myths came into being. It’s also not difficult to find out who have been flinging and slinging these falsehoods. Cotton needs to be more assertive, and possibly a bit aggressive too. texfash tries to join some dots.

Cotton is fraught with its own problems (ranging from climate risks and disruptions to trade wars) and polyester comes with its own driving forces (from costs to consumer preference). There are relatively lesser elements that are not deliberated as much in the public domain as they should be. For instance, why are the myths about cotton allowed to flourish? texfash looks at the story behind some numbers crunched out in the public domain.

A new project has been launched in India to promote fundamental principles and rights at working among cotton growers in India. The project, a collaboration between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), will lay emphasis on small and marginal farmers as well as migrant labour working in the sector.

Research from Clemson University in the US is shedding light on how to make cotton more climate-resilient through improved water use efficiency.

The Fourth Environmental Assessment of the Australian Cotton Industry has made 16 new recommendations which would be assessed over ten years. It has also noted considerable progress made on the recommendations of the earlier assessment that was conducted in 2012.

The recent Earthsight report on cotton farming in Brazil generated a lot of heat and dust. But there's more to the issue than meets the eye, and the trials and tribulations of farming communities everywhere remain unnoticed and unacknowledged. A compelling perspective from the ground in Mexico.

A media toolkit for cotton targets well-meaning journalists to write stories from the ground. texfash.com talks about that and stresses on the need for cotton trade associations to be a more open source for data and stories from the ground.

As the demand for degrowth threatens to derail any initiatives to increase cotton production, the 37th International Cotton Conference Bremen in Germany from 20-22 March sounded a cautionary note against fostering competition with synthetic fibres.